USDA-backed climate-smart fund open to dairy farmers

 Dairy farmers across 15 states can apply for considerable financial support to adopt climate-smart manure management practices through a new initiative aimed at enhancing soil health, increasing herd productivity and minimizing environmental impact. That's according to Transforming the Farmer to Consumer Supply Chain project leaders.

The Dairy Manure Management Incentive Program, part of the USDA-backed $70 million Transforming the Farmer to Consumer Supply Chain (Transform F2C) project, provides competitive funding to help farmers integrate sustainable manure and nutrient management methods that suit their unique operation's needs.

This program offers implementation support for practices such as waste storage, waste separation, composting and nutrient management. Farmers can receive up to $1 millionper farm entity.

"Many manure management practices require capital-heavy infrastructure investments, a challenge for the average dairy farmer, yet the business and environmental returns are phenomenal," said Nick Goeser, co-Founder of Carbon A List, the company administering the grant. "This project is creating real impact. We expect a reduction equivalent of over 50,000 tons of carbon dioxide throughout the five-year program."

Priority access will be given to small-scale and historically underserved farmers, helping more producers participate in climate-resilient practices.

Applications opened December 2, 2024, and the deadline to apply is January 30, 2025. Program Details are as follows:

• Eligibility: Dairy farmers in California, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin who meet Farm Service Agency (FSA) requirements.

• Incentive Payment: Funding is awarded based on the environmental impact of practice adoption, assessed in metric tons of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) reduction. Selected farmers may receive up to 100% of the proposed project budget.

The Dairy Manure Management Incentive Program simplifies the enrollment process with a 6-step guide, from confirming eligibility to submitting an online application, making it easier for farmers to obtain competitive funding that supports sustainability on their farms.