Apple Industry Growth and Efficiency Program (AIGEP) - a Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture program delivered by the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association Application for Spring 2015 Planting 1. Fully completed Application for Spring 2015 Planting forms must be received by the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association on or before 28 November 2014. Please mail, fax, or email your application to: Program Manager, AIGEP Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association 32 Main Street Blair House, Agricultural Centre Kentville, NS B4N 1J5 FAX: 902-678-1567 Email: [email protected] 2. Please read the Apple Industry Growth and Efficiency Program (AIGEP) Technical and Administration Guidelines before completing this application form.

The following must be fully completed by the Applicant I. APPLICANT INFORMATION a. Applicant’s Name: ______________________________________________________________ b. Farm Name:

______________________________________________________________

c. Farm Registration Number:________________________________________________________ d. Mailing Address:

______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________

e. Contact Person:

______________________________________________________________

f. Tel:

______________________

g. Fax: _____________________________

h. Cell:

______________________

i. e-mail_____________________________

j. The applicant confirms that he/she is either a Nova Scotia grower, a Principal of a Farm Partnership, or a Signing Officer of an incorporated farm; and must have has minimum annual gross revenue of $10,000 derived from the production of tree fruit. yes Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association AIGEP, Application for 2015 Spring Planting

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k. Are you a new entrant to apple production?

yes

no

l. How many planted acres of tree fruit did you operate in 2012? _____________________________ 2013? _____________________________ 2014? _____________________________ m. Can you verify your total apple acreage, measured by GPS maps? yes

no

n. Can you verify your total apple acreage by other means of such as historical program data, crop insurance verification, maps from industry use (e.g. from Scotian Gold, Cavendish, etc.)? yes no

II. SITE PREPARATION a. Has the site previously been planted with apple trees? yes

no

b. If yes, has/will a replant tolerant rootstock be used?

yes

no

yes

no

OR

has/will the site be fumigated for replant?

c. Describe steps taken in preparing the site for planting: _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________

III. PLANTING DESIGN NOTES: 1. Special Market Opportunities category refers to ‘Club Varieties’ including Sonya, SweeTango, Pazazz. 2. Pollinizers – Can be up to a maximum of 30% of total trees. Triploid cultivars such as Gravenstein & Jonagold are ineligible as pollinizers due to pollen incompatibility. a. Primary Cultivar Variety

Rootstock

Spacing

Density (# Trees/acre)

Total # of Trees by variety

(Honey Crisp, Gala, Ambrosia, & Special Market Opportunities category1 )

2

Pollinizers

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b. All trees under AIGEP must have an approved trellis support system. Please describe the trellis support system: _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________ c. Layout of Proposed Planting: Please provide a detailed site plan showing planting area as well as adjacent blocks, road names, or nearby buildings (with civic addresses, if possible). Please attach additional sheets if more than one site is being planted for the year of application Note: Plantings below 500 trees per acre do not qualify under the program and plantings above 1000 trees per acre will be funded to a maximum of 1000 trees per acre. However, if you intend to plant above the maximum density funded (e.g., at 2000 trees/acre), this density should be indicated on your application.

Application form includes:

Marketing Plan

Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association AIGEP, Application for 2015 Spring Planting

yes

no

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IV. Statement of Certification a. By submitting this Statement of Certification, I, the undersigned, AIGEP Applicant, 1. certify, to the best of my knowledge and ability, that the information provided on my AIGEP Application for Planting form (application form), in the supporting documents, and in future in connection with the application, is complete, true and correct; 2. understand and agree to abide by the most current AIGEP Technical & Administrative Guidelines, if my application is approved in whole or in part; 3. agree to pay royalties on all of the patented varieties I plant under the AIGEP as well as fees applicable to club varieties; 4. consent to the audit and verification of the information provided on my application form and in future in connection with my AIGEP application, such audit and verification to be performed by Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association (NSFGA), Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture (NSDA), or other parties, chosen by the Program Manager for audit and verification purposes; 5. consent to the use and disclosure of the information provided on my application form and in future in connection with the application by officials of NSFGA, NSDA and officials of any other farm program offered by a federal or provincial government or agency to other government departments and agencies and cooperating funding partners, where the information is relevant for the purposes of audit, analysis, evaluation, program development and determining assistance payments; 6. consent to the disclosure by third parties, including federal and provincial government programs and financial institutions, to NSFGA and NSDA of any information that is relevant to the audit and verification of information provided in connection with this application; 7. agree to repay any overpayment amount received under the program if adjustment or audit shows the amount received exceeds the funding to which I am entitled under the terms of the program; 8. consent to the release of my name and the amount of any support received under the program as public information, to be actively disseminated by NSFGA and NSDA; and 9. acknowledge that any other information provided, unless disclosed in the manner and for the purposes to which I have consented above, will be subject to the confidentiality and disclosure provisions of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. 10. 10.1 The applicant certifies as the land owner that he/she intends to maintain, to the satisfaction of the AIGEP Steering Committee, the AIGEP planting as a commercial orchard operation for a minimum period of ten years from the date of establishment of the planting. If this agreement is not upheld, the applicant agrees to repay to NSFGA the AIGEP grant funds received by the applicant. AND/OR 10.2 The applicant certifies as the lessee of the orchard that both the applicant and the land owner intend to maintain, to the satisfaction of the AIGEP Steering Committee, the AIGEP planting as a commercial orchard operation for a minimum period of ten years from the date of establishment of the planting. If this agreement is not upheld by either the landlord or the lessee, at the discretion of the AIGEP Steering Committee, the applicant agrees to repay to NSFGA the AIGEP grant funds received by the applicant. Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association AIGEP, Application for 2015 Spring Planting

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Applicant’s Signature

Witness

______________________________

___________________________________

Date

______________

Date

______________

b. Where the landowner’s signature is required, the landlord certifies that he/she intends to maintain, to the satisfaction of the AIGEP Steering Committee, the AIGEP planting as a commercial orchard operation for a minimum period of ten years from the date of establishment of the planting.

Land Owner’s Signature (if required) ______________________ Date

______________

Witness: ___________________________________________

______________

Date

V. APPLICATION CHECKLIST a.

Completed with application with additional site plans for the Layout of Proposed Planting, if applicable.

b.

Marketing Letter of Agreement, signed by your Packer if you send your fruit to a Packer. OR Direct Marketer’s Marketing Plan if you direct market your apples.

c. Additional Comments:

_______________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________

VI. ANY QUESTIONS? Please contact:

Dawn Sutherland Program Manager, AIGEP Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association 32 Main Street, Blair House, Agricultural Centre Kentville, NS B4N 1J5 PHONE: 902-678-1093 FAX: 902-678-1567 Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

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Apple Industry Growth and Efficiency Program (AIGEP) - a Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture program delivered by the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association Technical & Administration Guidelines for Spring 2015 Planting The Apple Industry Growth and Efficiency Program (AIGEP) is a partnership between Government of Nova Scotia and apple growers which will encourage innovation through orchard renewal. This program will help apple growers with their initial capital investment to plant their orchards with new, higher value varieties that will help the industry to innovate, grow and be more profitable. Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture (NSDA) is contributing a total of $2.22 million over the next six years (2014-2019 planting years) while the sector is investing $6.9 million into the Program. AIGEP is supported by a steering committee representing the apple industry. Membership may vary but must always include representatives of the following groups: Voting Members/Representatives: 1. Co-Chair, President, NSFGA 2. Co-Chair, Horticulturalist, Perennia & Technical Advisor 3. Packer representative (3) 4. Industry representative (2) 5. Grower representative (3) 6. Chair of the NSFGA Production Committee 7. Vice-President, NSFGA Ex Officio, Non-voting Members: 8. NSFGA Executive Director - Program Manager, AIGEP 9. NSDA Manager, Programs and Business Risk Management 1. Information on AIGEP Parameters 1.1. Annual Timeframe: 1.1.1. Except 2014-15

April 1 – March 31. May 16, 2014 – March 31, 2015.

1.2. Primary Cultivars:

Approved primary cultivar(s) include: Honeycrisp Ambrosia Gala Special Market Opportunities Category NOTE: Special Market Opportunities Category refers to

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Club Varieties such as Sonya, SweeTango, Pazazz. 1.3 Planting:

Each of the primary cultivars listed under item 1.2 above, or combination thereof, is subject to a minimum 70/30 planting ratio of 70% AIGEP SC approved primary cultivar(s) to 30% AIGEP SC approved pollinizer(s). All eligible trees, from approved applications, must be planted by 1 July of the planting year and all trellises must be in place and inspected by the Technical Advisor (TA) not later than 31 December of the planting year.

1.4. Non-repayable grant:

Funds available for eligible plantings are non-repayable except as provided for in the Statement of Certification submitted with each planting application. See also 2.7 below.

1.5. Applications:

All applications will be subject to the approval of the AIGEP Steering Committee.

1.6. Application procedures:

AIGEP application forms must be submitted to the NSFGA office. Each application must be fully completed and include the following supporting documents:  Orchard Renewal Plan  Grower/Packer Marketing Letter of Agreement signed by the Packer, or, for direct marketers a Marketing Plan for all cultivars planted under the AIGEP  A signed Statement of Certification Applications are to be submitted to: Program Manager, AIGEP

1.7. Future applications:

Applications are accepted on a yearly basis only.

1.8. Application Deadlines: Completed applications, as set out in Section 1.6, are to be received by the Program Manager in accordance with the following application schedule, which is subject to change: 2015 planting year 2016 planting year 2017 planting year 2018 planting year

Applications due: 28 November 2014 Applications due: 30 November 2015 Applications due: 30 November 2016 Applications due: 30 November 2017

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2019 planting year

Applications due: 30 November 2018

2. Information on AIGEP Eligibility Criteria 2.1. The Applicant must be a Nova Scotia producer, partnership or corporation that has minimum annual gross farm revenue of $10,000 derived from the production of tree fruit. The farm must be currently registered with NSDA. 2.2. The Applicant must have a demonstrated ability to be able to meet the current AIGEP Technical & Administrative Guidelines (Guidelines) for planting to the satisfaction of the AIGEP SC. 2.3 The Applicant, as a new entrant to apple production, may be considered eligible for the AIGEP at the discretion of the AIGEP SC. 2.4 The Applicant must agree to abide by the current AIGEP Guidelines. 2.5 The Applicant, as the land owner, must agree to maintain, to the satisfaction of the AIGEP SC, the AIGEP planting as a commercial orchard operation for a minimum period of ten years from the date of the AIGEP planting. In the case of leased property both the owner and the lessee of the leased property must agree to maintain, to the satisfaction of the AIGEP SC, the AIGEP planting as a commercial orchard operation for a minimum period of ten years from the date of the AIGEP planting. 2.6 The Applicant must agree to pay royalties on all of the patented varieties that he/she plants under the AIGEP as well as fees applicable to ‘club’ varieties. 2.7 The Applicant must agree that if the conditions of the current AIGEP Guidelines are not met and subsequently maintained, at the discretion of the AIGEP SC, the Applicant will be obliged to repay the AIGEP planting grant to NSDA. 2.8 The Grower/Packer Marketing Letter of Agreement, and/or, Direct Marketer’s Marketing Plan must be meet the AIGEP objective of enabling the industry to innovate, grow and be more profitable, as determined by the AIGEP SC. 3. AIGEP Technical & Administrative Guidelines 3.1 Planting: 3.1.1 10% Rule: Effective with the 2014 planting, all eligible growers will be allowed to plant up to 10% of his/her owned and existing orchard, or orchard acreage held over the three years previous to application (average/arithmetic mean). For example: If the applicant has 50 eligible acres, he/she may receive funding to replant 5 acres (10%) through the course of the entire program (i.e. not 10% each year). AIGEP, Technical & Administrative Guidelines Page 3 of 5

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For the purposes of the calculation, orchard means the planting area plus 30 ft of headlands excluding bin yards, etc. Note: Regardless of how many trees an applicant plants in a planting year, AIGEP funded tree planting maximums will match the government funds made available for that planting year. Density minimum: Density maximum:

500 trees per acre 1000 trees per acre

3.1.2

Density Below 500 Trees/Acre: Plantings below the minimum density of 500 trees/acre do not fit with the objectives of the AIGEP and do not qualify for Program funding.

3.1.3

Density Above 1 000 Trees/Acre: With plantings exceeding 1000 trees/acre, the applicant will be allowed funding to the maximum density above of 1000 trees/acre. If the applicant decides to increase the plantings above 1000 trees/acre, the maximum tree funding of $5 000/acre will still apply ($5.00 per tree X 1000 trees/acre).

3.2 Funding: AIGEP funding will be issued to eligible growers by NSFGA. AIGEP is a six year program. The program end date is 31 March 2020. The final planting year is 2019. Tree Assistance: $5.00 per tree Maximum funding of $5 000 per acre will be allowed for supported trees (1000 trees @ $5.00 per tree = $5000) (see ‘10% Rule’ above). 3.3 Support Systems: An AIGEP SC approved trellis support system is required for all plantings. 3.4 Pollinizers: Each planting may include a maximum of 30% pollinizer trees. Pollinizer varieties must be approved by the AIGEP SC. Approved pollinizer(s) include all cultivars other than primary cultivars which are not triploid. Triploid varieties such as Gravenstein & Jonagold are ineligible as pollinizers due to pollen incompatibility. 3.5 Tree Quality: A producer must plant trees of at least 1.2 m in height or at least 12.5 mm trunk diameter measured 50 mm above the graft union, measured at the end of the first growing season.

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3.6 Inspections: First inspection: After the Applicant’s application has been accepted by the AIGEP SC and prior to planting, the orchard site is subject to inspection by the AIGEP Technical Advisor (TA) to assure compliance with the current Technical & Administrative Guidelines (Guidelines) and the Applicant’s ‘planting design’ as described in his/her application. Second Inspection: Subsequent to planting, a second inspection will be conducted by the TA to assure that the Guidelines have been met. The support system is to be in place prior to the 2nd inspection. The TA’s tree count is based on live and healthy trees at the time of the 2nd inspection. Annual Inspections: The TA will conduct annual spot inspections for the duration of the program to ensure that the Guidelines are being maintained and that technical advice provided is being followed by the producer. 3.7 Orchard Renewal Plan: The Orchard Renewal Plan is presented through the completion of the application. At a minimum, the completed application must include descriptions of the following elements of the Orchard Renewal Plan:  Site preparation and planting design diagram. It is strongly advised that a replant tolerant rootstock be used or the site be fumigated prior to planting if the site was previously in orchard.  Planting densities  Rootstock  Trellis support system for all plantings (required)  Identification of pollinizing cultivars Note: GPS (global positioning system) orchard acreage verification may be required. 3.8 Marketing Letter of Agreement, and/or, Direct Marketer’s Marketing Plan: Orderly marketing is required to maintain a consistent, premium price for the AIGEP fruit that are produced over the long-term. Each application must include a Marketing Letter of Agreement, signed by the Packer, or if the grower is direct marketing his/her fruit, a Direct Marketer’s Marketing Plan for all of the AIGEP fruit produced. 3.9 Statement of Certification (SOC): A signed SOC must be included with each application. 3.10 Review of the AIGEP Technical & Administrative Guidelines: The AIGEP Technical & Administrative Guidelines shall be reviewed by the Steering Committee on an annual basis and revised, as necessary. Revisions shall be in keeping with the objectives and deliverables of the Program.

***CHECK THAT YOU ARE USING THE MOST CURRENT GUIDELINES***

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