THUNDER BAY — Local farmer Peggy Brekveld calls it a welcome announcement.
Ontario Agriculture Minister Lisa Thompson has agreed to add Thunder Bay-area livestock farmers to a program that already provided drought relief to farmers in the Dryden and Fort Frances areas.
Thompson is including Thunder Bay in the water and fence components of the Northwestern Livestock Emergency Assistance Initiative.
The minister is also extending the program to the end of October.
Brekveld said farmers can apply for up to $10,000 specifically for water tanks, water troughs and associated equipment required for temporary watering stations in pastures.
The money can also be used for fencing.
"If you have a crop you can't harvest because it's too small, but you'd like to send cattle on it, you can fence off the property and get some dollars for that," Brekveld explained.
"We're very thankful. It means that those who are currently struggling with pastures because of water needs have some options...It will help both the farmers and the livestock in this area."
She added, however, that "It would be nice to see some dollars for wells in the future. I'm still talking to government about that part, because we know that a number of farms have seen their wells go dry simply because the water table is so low right now."
Farmers whose dug wells have dried up may need deeper wells which require drilling.
Brekveld is the president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.
She said the OFA, Beef Farmers of Ontario, and local farmers' organizations all made a significant effort" to convey to the government and elected representatives the challenges of farming in such a dry year in the Thunder Bay region.
Although Thunder Bay received a substantial amount of rain on the weekend, Brekveld noted "I don't see any creeks running yet. We're still looking for a whole lot more water."
