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The gap is definitely intentional. This was a big step for Chicken Farmers of Ontario, no other province has a program like it, so they were addressing a lot of insecurities and unknowns.
CFO wanted a way to guarantee that folks who joined that program were serious. Their members were reassured by the hands-on control of the Artisanal program, and CFO wanted to target their resources for this new program to make sure that those who joined had the best chance to succeed.
The gap was a way to say "if you feel a need to do more than 300 meat hens, show us that you have a market beyond your farm gate, show us that you have guaranteed access to slaughter capacity, and if that's the case, three batches of 200 shouldn't be a challenge."
As to whether there are plans to alter that gap, i doubt it. Right now they're far more concerned about maintaining slaughter capacity for small and mid-sized producers. I don't know how it is in your region, but in eastern Ontario it's a challenge to find reasonably local feather facilities that will take small batches, and they're booking nearly a year in advance.
Roy Hinkley wrote:The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario (ECO) is cautioning the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) that assessment changes by the Municipal Property Assessment Commission (MPAC) are likely to be detrimental to the forests of Ontario. The MNRF manages a program called the Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program (MFTIP) which offers a property tax reduction for landowners who join the program in exchange for following the prescribed forest management practices of the MNRF. The program, introduced in 1997, is very popular with more than 10,700 landowners participating by 2004.
The problem, according to the ECO, is that another branch of the Ontario government is jeopardizing the program by changing the assessment rules. Around 2003, MPAC began changing its methods of assessing managed forests such that they were assessed for their potential value for residential or commercial development rather than at the same rate, as promised by MNRF in 1997, as farmlands.
https://ontariolandowners.ca/news/a-cautionary-tale-from-the-environmental-commissioner-of-ontario-by-shirley-dolan/
Jess Dee wrote:
To the OP, Mikey - what are you using chicken wire for? We've found it is so fragile that it is basically useless, and needs near-constant replacing or repair. For keeping chickens contained, even plastic snow fence is sturdier. For actual coops/corrals/chicken runs, I would recommend much heavier fencing that you can also use to keep in (or out!) other types of animals. Our chicken run is designed to hold goats in, which is probably overkill, but it sure was handy when we needed a place to quarantine a goat. It has also kept a determined dog out, not to mention the wildlife.
Jess Dee wrote:I would personally start basically two of each type of fruit tree you want, right off the bat - they take for-ev-er to produce fruit. To your two apples and two pears, if you have the space, I would add a couple of plums, peaches, and sweet cherries (and I gotta say, I'm a bit jealous of your ability to grow peaches and sweet cherries!).
Jess Dee wrote:Regarding equipment, I'd say wait and buy it as you need it, especially if you are planning on buying it new anyhow. It's easy to get loaded up on tools, and find out they aren't the tools you really needed. The things we use the most at our place are shovels, spades, pruning shears, and a bow saw; your situation might be totally different. I have a good collection of nearly-new tools that I thought I would need, but really didn't. Of course, if you can snag something on a great deal at a yard sale, that's a completely different story.
David Baillie wrote:Where abouts in ontario I'm somewhere between zone 3 and 4 near Bancroft.