Dairy Farm Innovation & Alternative Management Grant

Grant Overview

This grant has been expanded upon and is now the Dairy Farm Improvement & Modernization Grant. Please visit that page for more information and how to apply.

The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) announces the availability of funds through the Dairy Farm Innovation & Alternative Management Grant program. This program will provide grants for dairy farmers to access resources and technical assistance to support the implementation of community- and climate-forward production strategies. Projects funded through this grant program should take a whole farm system approach and increase collaboration with other farms or dairy sector stakeholders.  

This grant will fund a wide range of projects across farm production and business operation models. Projects may address improvements in topics such as, but are in no way limited to, creating new models for collaborative/cooperative milk production, increased new and young farmer engagement, alternative business ownership/management models, development of green technologies, farm-scale appropriate technology improvements, or creating a culture of continuous improvement. 

Improvements made with this grant funding should result in improved ecological and/or economic outcomes. All grantees will be expected to participate in and/or lead educational opportunities about their projects to benefit the broader dairy community. Projects that directly benefit more than one farm will score more competitively.   

Grants will range from $15,000 to $75,000 with a 25% (cash or in-kind) match commitment required.  

Total funds available $900,000. 

Projects coming from farmers who have received Grazing Transition, Forage Enhancement, or Alternative Farm Management Technical Assistance will receive priority access to $400,000 of the available grant funds. 

Eligibility

Grants are available to applicants in all Northeast states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. 

Applicants eligible for these funds are one or more of the following: 

• Dairy farmers (producers) that: 
  • are headquartered or based in the Northeast; and 
  • produce milk within the Northeast; and 
  • are licensed dairy operations in compliance with all required state and/federal standards 
• Producer associations that represent, supports, or promotes dairy products originating from the Northeast 
  • For the purposes of this grant, a producer association group, also known as a trade association, industry trade group, business association, sector association, or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry 
• Technical service providers (e.g., university extension or viability organizations) are eligible to apply if: 
  • The group of dairy businesses they will work with is clearly defined in the application; and 
  • The businesses receiving services are located in the Northeast 

How to Apply

1. Review the full Dairy Farm Innovation & Alternative Management Grant RFA (request for applications) for the complete details on eligible projects/applicants and the full application process.  
2. Register in WebGrants (may take up to two business days).
3. Complete your application in WebGrants using our Application Guide. Application period: December 1, 2022 - February 2, 2023 at 2:00 PM ET.

Have a Question about this Grant?

Have a question? Contact Laura.Ginsburg@vermont.gov.