FCS and FaRM Program overview

Farmers for Climate Solutions

Farmers for Climate Solutions (FCS) is Canada's national farmer- and rancher-led coalition advancing practical tools that support producers in building resilience and improving stewardship so our farms and ranches thrive in a changing climate.

FCS accomplishes this work through many projects, initiatives and programs, including the Farm Resilience Mentorship (FaRM) Program.

FaRM background

Launched in 2022, the FaRM Program is designed by farmers and ranchers for farmers and ranchers. It is a national, bilingual and regionally adaptive education and peer-support program which helps producers build more resilient and profitable operations with reduced emissions through the use of three beneficial management practices (BMPs): nitrogen management, cover cropping and rotational grazing.

By providing producers and advisors with peer-to-peer learning that merges science, economics, and practical experience, FaRM helps producers discover what works, avoid what doesn't, and adapt BMPs to best fit their operation.

The first four years of FaRM (2021–2025) primarily focused on training events and mentorship for farmers and ranchers hosted in partnership with organizations across Canada. By the end of 2025, FaRM had conducted 800+ in-person and virtual learning events and had reached over 26,000 farmers and ranchers.

FaRM has also developed curriculum for asynchronous learning, housed on the FaRM Learning Hub. The Hub currently includes more than 35 free online self-directed courses, a video library, and resources to build knowledge on how to adapt BMPs to farms or ranches. It also lists upcoming regional on- and off-farm events that focus on the BMPs.

Broadening FaRM

FaRM is already reaching a wide net of producers across Canada and supporting real changes on the ground, but there are barriers and challenges slowing the ability to scale up BMP adoption. To address these obstacles, FaRM is currently expanding into field trials, training for professional agricultural advisors and other initiatives to expand BMP extension capacity and further accelerate the transition to high-resilience, low-emissions agriculture. This new work follows the same approach that has made the program effective: peer-to-peer learning and practical knowledge based in science, economics, and strong stewardship. It builds on recent success, while adding capacity in areas requested by producers and partners, particularly related to regional on-farm data, economics, farmer-led storytelling, and a broader set of practical tools.

Increasing advisor training

Professional agricultural advisors (such as agronomists and agrologists) are a trusted source of information for producers and directly impact on-farm decisions, so providing increased training opportunities for them in low emissions, high-resilience BMPs is critical. Building their confidence and hands-on experience with BMPs, ensures more farmers and ranchers can have access to practical, locally relevant agronomic support that helps translate ideas into successful implementation.

FaRM Field Trials: Strengthening on-farm learning and regional data

One of the most consistent needs identified by farmers and ranchers is access to practical, regionally relevant data backed by real experience and economics. In 2025, the FaRM Field Trials were launched to build experiential learning and generate more regionally-relevant agronomic and economic data. They also allow agricultural professionals to gain familiarity, comfort, and expertise with implementing BMPs while supporting farmers and ranchers in overcoming regional barriers to practice adoption. The result is strong producer-advisor partnerships working toward improved on-farm resilience, improved soil health, and enhanced on-farm profitability while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Farmers and ranchers place extra value in learning from their peers, particularly related to economics. FaRM Field trials combine rigorous data collection and on-farm economic analyses of BMPs with producer-storytelling for a comprehensive knowledge-building experience to assist producers and agricultural professionals in future decision-making. By July 2026, there will be over 70 FaRM Field Trials established across Canada.

The knowledge generated from FaRM Field Trials will create a significant quantity of new BMP-related content from the submission of completed FaRM Field Trial Reports, Partial Budget Analyses, Producer's Perspectives (producer storytelling that will come in a variety of formats, such as written, audio, or video), as well as photos, articles, podcasts, YouTube videos, and other impactful knowledge transfer content.

Digital FaRM agronomy knowledge platform

An additional aspect of broadening the FaRM Program is to launch the Platform to widely disseminate the results of the FaRM Field Trials and to amplify the reach of other region-specific extension materials developed by other sector contributors (such as commodity organizations, provincial extension arms, the Science Clusters, Living Labs, OFCAF, etc.).

Overarching goal

The overarching goal of the Platform is to strengthen practical, regionally-relevant knowledge exchange across Canada by curating and sharing applied, agronomic, economic evidence-informed resources that help agricultural advisors support farmers overcome barriers in successfully adopting BMPs that build on-farm resilience and soil health, while also reducing emissions.

The bilingual Platform should help agricultural advisors access, interpret, and apply information related to nitrogen management, cover cropping, rotational grazing, soil health, farm resilience, profitability, and emissions reduction. It should accomplish this by presenting technical knowledge in a clear, concise, applicable and engaging manner and feature farmer-storytelling and insights. The content must be designed with a layout and functionality that promotes active learning, sharing and practical application. A layout and design for selected content to be shared through a digital communication (e.g. an e-newsletter or digital digest) may also be needed.

Audience

The primary audience of the Platform is Canadian agricultural professionals with deep technical experience, such as Professional Agrologists, agronomes, Certified Crop Advisors, extension specialists, conservation specialists, and other professionals who support farmer decision-making, as well as academics, government employees, and researchers. A secondary audience is farmers in Canada who are actively seeking digital BMP-related information to make on-farm improvements.

Project and consultant details

Targets

The Platform should launch in May 2027 with the brand, design, layout, and functionality delivered on by the consultant (accomplished through an iterative feedback process with the FCS FaRM and Communications teams). The expectation is to have at least seven articles for the May launch, with the expectation that the number of articles will grow to at least 50 articles by 2030.

The Platform should be launched with a strong plan and brand strategy for how to successfully engage an agronomist audience that facilitates Canada-wide agronomist networking, and inspires discussion about articles and action related to BMPs amongst readers.

Analytics tracking in real time on a dashboard which FCS can manage and use to compile various data summaries is also needed.

Timeline of key milestones

1. Development work on the Platform to begin upon contract signing
2. Iterative feedback process to develop the website design, function and analytics tracking plan as well as software decisions (ASAP - December 2026)
3. Finalize wireframes in early January 2027
4. Finalize brand strategy, marketing and communications plans by February 2027
5. Contractors support FaRM on the site build and implementing required software (February - April 2027)
6. May 2027 - Platform launches (in both English and French)

Specific objectives

• Position the Platform as a trusted, practical, agronomist-facing knowledge mobilization platform.
• Ensure the content can be presented with a layered approach in a range in complexity and applicability, from simplified key takeaways to in-depth reports to meet the variety of needs of the main audience using multiple formats (e.g. written, audio, video).
• Ensure the site has a robust capacity to accommodate content from a variety of sources, including both the FaRM Field Trial results and practical BMP research, demonstrations, case studies, and practical extension outputs developed by external partners — including factsheets, guides, videos, and decision support materials — to support agricultural advisors in advising farmers across Canada.
• Integrate an externally developed interactive mapping tool which showcases regionally developed data and techniques across comparable Canadian ecoregions by mapping field trial results, applied data, and implementation techniques so advisors and farmers can interpret results from other regions and then assess and translate how they can be applied in their own context.
• Ensure website content is provided with functionality that is accessible, applicable, potentially interactive, and decision-useful for ag advisors.
  • It should also allow ag advisors to share key takeaways or actions with farmer-clients.

The consultant will work collaboratively with FCS staff and advisors to develop the Platform's brand and marketing strategy in addition to its content structure, website layout, design, navigation, functionality, analytics tracking and reporting and advise on software requirements.

The consultant or consulting organization must be based in and have the legal ability to provide services in Canada.

The ideal consultant will bring experience in some or all of the following areas:

• Developing platform frameworks, digital publications or knowledge mobilization products.
• Information architecture, search and discovery systems, and content strategy.
• Teamwork, project management and client communication skills.
• Communicating to diverse audiences in accessible formats.
• Canadian agriculture, agricultural extension, knowledge transfer, applied research communication, or related fields.
• Collaborating with non-profit organizations and advisory groups.
• Familiarity with bilingual or national Canadian agricultural programming and bilingual websites would be considered an asset.

The consultant should expect an iterative process (for all areas of work outlined below), with regular consultation and input from the FaRM team, including check-ins and opportunities for review and refinement of proposed materials. The work should be grounded in FaRM's farmer-led, practical, regionally adaptive approach and should support the long-term development of a credible and useful platform for agricultural advisors.

Consultant areas of work

The consultant requires expertise in one or both of the following areas of work. Both areas of work do not need to be completed by one consultant. The consultant should only submit proposals for the areas of work that they excel at.

Proposal evaluation criteria

The consultant should submit a proposal for how they will meet each of the key deliverables above in one or both areas of work identified in this request for proposal (RFP). Sufficient detail beyond what is outlined here should be included for the evaluation committee to evaluate the strength of your proposal. Include a project timeline and target dates for key deliverables, and an itemized budget. The budget will be evaluated against the perceived value of the proposal.

The evaluation committee will assess proposals based on the consultant's understanding of the FaRM Program's needs, our target audience's needs and alignment with our objectives. Proposals will also be assessed on the perceived ability to achieve the project targets and timelines, goals, and the key deliverables in their area of expertise (website development and/or marketing and communications) through a collaborative approach with the FaRM team and advisors.

FCS reserves the right to award contracts to one consultant or multiple consultants, depending on the expertise, value, and coordination capacity demonstrated in the proposals.

Additional consideration will be given to how well the proposal exemplifies the consultant's:

• Relevant experience and qualifications
• Level of expertise in the area of work they would work on
• Methodology and strategic approach to this project
• Project management and organizational skills
• Collaboration and communication skills
• Budget and value
  • Please note that a budget for the consultant's work should be included in the proposal, with separate estimations provided for website development and/or marketing and communications areas of work.

Submission requirements

The deadline for proposal submissions is midnight CDT on August 9, 2026. Please ensure your proposal includes an overview of your expertise, a plan to achieve the project goals, objectives and key deliverables, a projected timeline, and a budget estimate.

Please submit your proposal to Taryn Dickson at [email protected] with the subject line ‘Digital FaRM agronomy knowledge platform Proposal’.

Our goal is to notify the successful applicant by September 9, 2026.

Should you have any questions about this RFP process, feel free to email Taryn Dickson at [email protected] with subject line: Digital FaRM agronomy knowledge platform Proposal inquiry.