By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup for Tuesday June 9, 2020

Jun 9, 2020 | 10:15 AM

There will be a second call for proposals under the Local Food Infrastructure Fund.

Federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said the money will be for food support organizations to help improve access to food for Canadians at risk.

Proposals under the program will support small and large community-led projects at facilities such as urban gardens, community kitchens, food banks, and greenhouses.

Under the first call for proposals, 362 projects received funding of up to $25,000 for a total $6.6 million.

The money is on top of extra support the federal government has already rolled out for Canada’s food banks to help with the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Nominations have opened for positions on the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission (SaskFlax) board of directors.

There will be three positions available at the table. Two current directors, Nancy Johns and Shane Stokke, have completed the maximum number of terms.

If an election is necessary, information about candidates and voting procedures will be released in October 2020.

Nominations will be accepted until Aug. 31. Information is available at www.saskflax.com.

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Animal rights activists in Ontario say a proposed law to protect farmers from aggressive protesters will trample freedom of speech.

The activists told a legislative committee the bill would violate the Charter of Rights and would spark legal challenges.

The bill was introduced in 2019 by the Ontario government and would hike fines for trespassing on farms and food-processing facilities.

The government said the proposed law would help ensure the biosecurity of the province’s food supply while also striking a balance which ensures the right to protest.

Under the legislation, fines for trespassing would be set at a maximum of $15,000 for a first offence and up to $25,000 for subsequent offences.

The bill could be passed into law later this month.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF