By Katie Spring, Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center
In June 2023, the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) awarded $1.07 million in funding to 24 farms across the Northeast through the Dairy Farm Innovation & Alternative Management Grant. With a focus on climate and community-forward production strategies, farmers in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont received grants to implement projects that enhance the resilience of our regional food system. Over the past year, these projects have come to fruition. Here’s a look at three projects in Vermont:
Extended Lactation in Dairy Goats
Blue Ledge Farm of Salisbury collaborated with Tups Crossing of Orwell to study and implement extended lactation milking for dairy goats. The $18,745 grant funds allowed the two Vermont farms to purchase dairy goat genetics from extended lactation herds, milk testing units, and pay for expert services including laparoscopic artificial insemination. The farms hoped to see improved animal health, reduced farm worker stress during kidding season, and increased milk production throughout the year.
After the 18-month project, both Blue Ledge Farm and Tups Crossing have found success with extended lactation. An increase in winter milk improved farm profitability – at Blue Ledge, they produced more fresh cheese all year, while Tups Crossing received a higher milk check all year thanks to their higher winter production quota. The new genetics from farms in Europe are now established at these two Vermont goat dairies and will support the continuation of their extended lactation programs.
Activity Monitoring Collars
Conant’s Riverside Farms in Richmond, VT, received $65,710 to purchase and install activity monitoring collars for their herd of mature dairy cows. This technology generates real-time animal health and reproduction data. As a result, the farmers have been able to remove guesswork and be more proactive on herd health. Overall, the collars have been a boon. Reporting on the project, Ransom Conant wrote:
“In the same six-month period from the year previous that the technology was in place, we gained nearly 500,000 pounds more milk, 10,000 pounds more butterfat, and 16,000 pounds more of protein. While there are numerous factors contributing to success, as we believe dairying is a compounding series of good decisions that yield momentum, it sure does look like the technology has and will continue to be a big part of our success.”
Virtual Fencing
With $62,467 of grant funding, Agritech Institute for Small Farms purchased Nofence Grazing Technology geofencing-enabled collars to support virtual fencing trials at three grazing dairy farms. This technology enables farmers to graze cows without having to manually build and move fences. While they ran into challenges in areas with poor cell service, the benefits for farms with adequate service were meaningful.
At Harrison’s Home Farm in Whiting Vermont, the virtual fence allowed them to increase the frequency they moved their bred heifer herd, from two or three times per week up to once a day. The technology also allowed them to create exclusion zones around a pond and around areas of standing water after heavy rains. These exclusion zones led to improved water quality management for all three farms participating in the trial. The farms also reported time and labor savings. The Agritech Institute for Small Farms plans to expand and extend this pilot trial on small-scale dairy farms.
The Impact of Innovation
Beyond these examples, the Dairy Farm Innovation & Alternative Management Grant funded a wide range of projects, including pasture renovation, forage improvement, developing silvopasture systems, and a range of farm robotics – from feed pushers and cow brushes to manure scrapers. These investments help build resilience, sustainability, and efficiency in the Northeast dairy industry. As these projects continue to evolve, they highlight the connections between productivity, animal health, farm viability, and environmental stewardship.
The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center is offering an updated and expanded version of this grant in 2025, titled the Dairy Farm Improvement & Modernization Grant. Learn more and see our full grants calendar on our website: www.nedairyinnovation.com/grants/#fundingcalendar
Announcing $1.4 Million in Dairy Processor Modernization Grant Awards
By the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center
The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center is pleased to announce the Dairy Processor Modernization Grant Awards.
Ten dairy processors across four states were selected for awards. Individual award amounts will range from $62,000 to $350,000 with a total of $1,476,649.50 in overall funding. In order to serve a wide range of business sizes, applicants were divided into two tiers, based on the volume of milk utilized on an average production day.
Projects from this grant will support dairy processors in modernizing their processing facilities to lead toward long-term business viability. These projects focus on installing specialized equipment, including a whipped cream cheese mixer, a precision weight cheese cutter, a vat pasteurizer, and a rotary filler-sealer. This equipment will help grantees increase production, improve employee working conditions, and reduce product waste.
Two Vermont processors were selected for awards:
Franklin Foods, VT – $123,066 to purchase and install a specialized whipped cream cheese mixer to improve the whipping process, which will reduce loss and improve product quality.
Sweet Cow Yogurt, VT – $101,000 to purchase and install a new milk storage tank, milk transfer pump, vat-pasteurizer, and semi-automatic rotary filler-sealer, which will allow them to increase production capacity by 100%, eliminate plastic shrink-seal lids, improve employee working conditions, and meet customer demand.
Processors in New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania were also selected for awards. See the full list of awardees and learn more about the Dairy Processor Modernization Grant on our website: nedairyinnovation.com/dairy-processor-modernization-awards. This grant is expected to open again in Summer 2025.
Current & Upcoming Dairy Grants
By Ali Boochever, Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center
At the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC), our goal is to help dairy farms and processors innovate to become more sustainable and resilient. Whether you’re looking for funding to purchase specialized equipment, to implement an innovative practice, or to receive technical assistance, consider applying for an NE-DBIC grant. Access full details and Requests for Applications online at nedairyinnovation.com/grants
Open Funding Opportunities:
Dairy Farm Improvement and Modernization Grant
This program provides grants to dairy farmers or farmer groups, working with technical assistance providers, producer associations, or milk buyers, to make improvements to farm systems or operations to support long-term farm viability. Projects may cover topics such as upgrading outdated production practices or specialized equipment (e.g., milking systems, animal comfort, water and nutrition management, manure handling); implementing farm-scale technology and green innovations; transitioning to group calf housing; developing collaborative/cooperative milk production models; increasing engagement of new and young farmers; exploring alternative ownership/management models; piloting new technologies with support from technical assistance; or creating a culture of continuous improvement.
Funds may be used for specialized equipment, training, consultant or technical assistance costs, but may not be used for construction or for farm systems that do not impact dairy operations. Applications will be more competitive with evidence of direct involvement of a service provider, business planner, farm succession planner, or technical assistance provider to demonstrate a strategic, long-term approach to their grant project investment.
The application period is January 2 through February 20, 2025 at 2pm ET. Awards will range from $15,000 – $100,000 with a 25% in-kind and/or cash match contribution. Approximately $950,000 in total funds are available this round.
Dairy Co-Packing Grant
This grant will provide funds for existing Northeast dairy processors to initiate new co-packing arrangements or to expand existing co-packing capabilities. Processors who have not previously co-packed will be eligible for funds to add co-packing capabilities to their current business. Processors that currently co-pack will be eligible for funds for activities that will add new co-packing partnerships, scale up existing co-packing relationships, or add additional co-packed product lines.
Funds may be used to purchase specialized dairy processing equipment and/or supplies, increase food safety, marketing and branding, market access, and/or product development. Applicants will be required to seek technical assistance or training as a subset of their funds for their projects.
The Request for Application will be released January 21 with an application period of February 4 through April 3, 2025 at 2 pm ET. Awards will range from $15,000 – $150,000 with a 25% in-kind and/or cash match contribution. Approximately $1,100,000 in total funds are available this round.