Female-Identifying Farmers Focus on Grazing Innovation
By Katie Spring, Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center
In 2023, the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC), awarded 24 recipients of the Dairy Farm Innovation & Alternative Management Grant. With a focus on climate and community-forward production strategies, this grant offered funds for farmers to implement projects that enhance the resilience of our Northeast regional food system.
One of those grantees was the Center for an Agricultural Economy (CAE), which leveraged grant funds to bring together a group of 6 female-identifying dairy farms so they may have a greater impact both individually and collectively. Led by Silene DeCiucies of the Center for an Agricultural Economy in collaboration with Dr. Dayna Locitzer, DVM, the group of farms included North Country Creamery, Chaseholm Farm, and K&O Farm in New York, along with Northwind Farm, Larson Farm, and Rebop Farm in Vermont.
Through a combination of on-farm visits and virtual meetings, the grass-based farmers focused on innovative grazing strategies, including the installation of Batt-Latches: automatic gate opening mechanisms that reduce the labor time needed to move animals. The group also received support on expanding their summer forage production through the planting of diverse annual and perennial seed mixes, as well as funding to purchase soil amendments to improve pasture fertility.
"This grant provided a great opportunity to leverage DBIC funds to make a real impact on pasture productivity on a great group of farms. I wish I could bring an opportunity like this to all of my clients because pasture productivity and consumption is such a large driver of farm profitability," said Silene.
This cohort-based setting took a holistic approach to grazing systems, with group discussions including farmer well-being, soil health, pasture season milk production, and cost analysis of project implementation to create a replicable, cost-effective model to support innovation adoption beyond the cohort.
The importance of developing resilient systems was highlighted during the 2023 grazing season. An unusually dry spring, followed by summer flooding and high soil moisture, presented challenges to seeding, grazing, and haying. Despite these challenges, the majority of farms in the group were able to seed and apply amendments to their fields.
In February, Dr. Locitzer will host a virtual roundtable with a panel of participating farmers to present findings and observations from the grant. Get the details at nedairyinnovation.com/events
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.
Open Funding Opportunities:
Dairy Food Safety & Certification Grant
This funding opportunity will provide grants for dairy farmers, processors, and/or producer associations to take actionable steps to improve the safety of dairy products. Projects funded through this program will support increased production safety standards with the goal of accessing new markets. Food safety activities under this grant should build upon baseline state and federal compliance requirements to further improve product consistency, safety, and quality of dairy products.
Applications for this grant program are due February 22, 2024, at 2:00 PM ET. Awards will range from $10,000 to $50,000 with a 25% cash or in-kind match requirement. Total funds available in this round are expected to be about $600,000.
Goat & Sheep Dairy Supply Chain Development Grant
This grant program will provide funds to support individual small ruminant dairy businesses and/or supply chain projects that will develop or expand goat and/or sheep dairy products or markets.
The RFA for this grant is expected to be released in mid-February, with applications due in April. Awards will range from $25,000 to $100,000 with a 25% match commitment. Approximately $760,000 total funds available this round.
Trade Show Assistance Grant
This funding opportunity will provide funds for dairy processors and/or producer associations to exhibit and sell value-added dairy products to regional and/or international business-to-business trade shows that will increase consumer awareness of products, develop market channels and distribution opportunities to increase product placement, support innovative strategies to increase consumption, and/or increase business revenues.
The RFA for this grant will be released mid-February, 2024 and applications will be accepted and awarded on a rolling basis. Awards will range from $5,000 to $20,000. Approximately $125,000 total funds available this round.
- For more information about these grants, contact the NE-DBIC team at agr.dairyinnovation@vermont.gov
- Find our full funding calendar on our website at nedairyinnovation.com/grants