Cape Breton Farmers Gain Access to $620,000 in Equipment

Two Cape Breton farm organizations will receive a combined $620,000 to expand equipment-rental programs for local producers.

The Cape Breton-Richmond Federation of Agriculture is receiving $330,000. The Inverness/Victoria Federation of Agriculture will receive $290,000 through Nova Scotia’s Community Economic Development Fund.

Shared machinery can lower farm costs

The Cape Breton-Richmond organization plans to buy a baler, rock picker, spreading equipment, drills and machinery for tillage and forage work.

The Inverness/Victoria federation will add cattle-handling, forage, tillage and manure-management equipment. It will also introduce software to manage bookings and rentals.

Equipment-rental programs give farms access to specialized machinery without requiring each producer to buy and maintain every piece. The Inverness/Victoria federation represents about 80 farms, and more than 50 farms used its rental machines last year.

Federal funding and contributions from the farm organizations and the Municipality of the County of Inverness are also supporting the two projects. The Nova Scotia Farm Loan Board helped bridge the timing of government payments so equipment could be available for the 2026 field season.

The provincial Community Economic Development Fund supports projects tied to rural development, food security and regional business growth.

Read the provincial news release.