The grant was presented to Trees for Mapleton Chair Paul Day by Perth Wellington MPP John Wilkinson during the annual Drayton Farm Show.

The funding will go to the Trees for Mapleton project and will be distributed over three years to subsidize the position of an agri-forester who will work with local farmers in Mapleton to plant windbreaks, living snow fences, shelterbelts, buffers and corridor plantings. Trees for Mapleton receives its trees from Wellington County's Green Legacy Program.

Many local partners have been key in launching this program including the county, Mapleton Township, Wellington County Stewardship Council, Grand River Conservation Authority, Drayton Kinsmen, Wellington Soil Crop Improvement Association and Trees Ontario.

"This is a great day for Mapleton," said John Green, Mapleton mayor and warden of Wellington County. "I want to thank the Trillium Foundation for investing in this initiative, Paul Day and all the partners who worked hard to get the ball rolling."

Day said having a specialized person to advise landowners where to plant trees is a valuable part of the project. Farm income can be increased by $20,000 on an average farm, with the right tree plantings -- helping to cut wind damage, for one.

"This is an investment in sustainable food production and a healthy environment through developing a green infrastructure of windbreaks and shelterbelts," Day said. Private landowners interested in the Trees for Mapleton project can contact Paul Day at 519-638-3469, or paulnyvonneday@sentex.net for further information on this initiative.

Pictured above are photos taken at the official ceremony whereby a Trillium Grant was given to the Mapleton project involving planting windbreak along farmer's fields. John Wilkinson, Minister for Research and Innovation made the announcement and Paul Day, Chair, Trees For Mapleton, hosted the event.

Trees Ontario has also provided funding to the project.