Photo of goats Acorn and Frida courtesy of Tup's Crossing Farm, LLC - Orwell, VT
The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) is pleased to announce the award of Goat & Sheep Dairy Supply Chain Grants to six goat and sheep dairy businesses in Vermont and New Jersey. This grant program is intended to support projects that improve the goat and sheep dairy supply chains and benefit multiple goat and sheep dairy businesses in the Northeast region.
A total of $256,430 was awarded in grants ranging $15,369 to $50,000. The grantees will use this funding to undertake a range of activities, including product development, operational improvements, producer education, genetic improvements, and marketing. Grantees were required to match at least 25 percent of the awarded funds with either in-kind or cash funds.
- Ayers Brook Goat Dairy, LLC of Randolph, VT will use $50,000 to increase herd productivity through genetic herd improvements and sales of bucklings and semen with proven genetics throughout the region. These efforts will bolster the genetic foundation of dairy goat herds at farms throughout New England to support competitiveness and profitability of the regional goat dairy industry.
- Boston Post Dairy, LLC of Enosburg Falls, VT will invest $15,369 in key systems and equipment to increase production efficiencies and expand product line availability to existing and prospective retail accounts.
- lu•lu Artisan Ice Cream (Harmack LLC) of Vergennes, VT received $49,000 to conduct research and development of new value-added lines of goat and/or sheep milk ice cream to address a niche market opportunity.
- Tup's Crossing Farm LLC of Orwell, VT was awarded $50,000 to purchase equipment to improve operational efficiencies and milk quality to help meet demand for local fluid goat milk by Vermont Creamery.
- Vermont Shepherd LLC of Putney, VT will use a $42,062 grant to increase the genetic capacity of dairy sheep in Vermont and provide an education series to potential and existing sheep dairy farmers.
- Misty Meadows Sheep Dairy of Woodbine, NJ will use $50,000 to increase their value-added processing capacity for sheep milk products, allowing them to source increased milk volume from regional sheep dairy farms and meet new regional market opportunities for sheep milk yogurt and ice cream products.