Nov. 4 – Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday, Nov. 5, that $21.6 million is available through the Dairy Modernization Grant Program to help New York’s dairy farmers and agricultural marketing cooperatives expand on-farm milk storage capacity and support projects that transport and storage of milk will improve.
“New York’s dairy farms are the backbone of our agriculture industry, contributing so much to our communities, our economies and our long legacy of agricultural excellence,” Hochul said in a news release. “I am proud that the Dairy Modernization Grant Program will help our dairy farmers and processors make much-needed improvements to their technology and facilities, allowing New York State to remain a national dairy powerhouse and ultimately nutritious, locally can take produced dairy products to the next level.”
The grant program is administered by the Farm and Food Growth Fund. Grants will range from $50,000 to $250,000 and will be awarded to eligible applicants for projects that aim to expand on-farm milk storage capacity, improve efficiency, invest in milk transfer systems and cooling technologies and more.
Examples of eligible projects include the purchase and installation of milk storage tanks, including bulk tanks, and milk silos, milk tankers for transportation, milk pipelines, improved glycol coolers, raw milk loading systems, water recovery systems and watering systems (e.g. – demand tanks) and more.
The request for proposals opened on November 1. There will be virtual open office hours for interested applicants on November 13 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM; December 8 and January 15. Applications must be submitted by Friday, February 14.
State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “The Dairy Modernization Grant Program provides critical funding to support our dairy farmers and cooperatives by investing in projects that improve farming facilities and facilitate the purchase of new equipment. I thank Governor Hochul for her continued support of the dairy farmers in New York, and encourage everyone who is eligible to learn more about this program and consider applying for these critical funds.”
State Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “New York is not just an agricultural state – we are a dairy state. Dairy is our largest agricultural sector and a powerful contributor to our economy, so supporting this leading industry must be a state priority. I am proud to have played a role in advancing this program through our state agriculture budget as a meaningful investment in our family dairies and local processing plants.”
Assemblymember Donna Lupardo said, “The Dairy Modernization Program Grant Program is the direct result of feedback from New York dairy farmers looking to upgrade their facilities. They are interested in expanding their on-farm milk storage capacity by investing in milk tankers for transport and production more.”
According to the publication, New York has approximately 3,000 dairy farms that produce more than 15 billion pounds of milk annually, making New York the fifth-largest dairy state in the country. The dairy industry is the state’s largest agricultural sector, generating nearly half of the state’s total agricultural revenue.
Full details on project eligibility can be found at www.ffgrowthfund.org/dairymodernization.
