“Very critical.” That‘s how a chief economic development official describes a new dairy-focused grant program for local farmers’ economic growth.
The Dairy Modernization Grant is a $21.6 million state program designed to help the New York dairy industry install new technology meant to improve dairy supply chain efficiency and avoid the need for raw milk dumping during emergency events.
This technology is something dairy organizations like Sheland Farms in the town of Ellisburg are interested in using.
“A lot of what we would be looking at in this grant is more to do with expanding storage and cooling capacity for our milk so that we’d have more on-farm storage to build flexibility for our haulers and cooperatives,” said Devon Shelmidine, a member of Sheland Farms.
Another upgrade that comes with this grant is a new piper system capable of doing things much more efficiently than Sheland Farms’ current system.
“That would meter the milk as it gets loaded into the truck and sample it all at once rather than having to measure the tank as you go,” said Shelmidine.
Jay Matteson, Jefferson County’s agricultural coordinator, says the grant could be exciting for the entire dairy industry in New York.
“Any dairy processing company, across the world, across the globe, if they see this and they say, ‘Look at what New York is doing to increase their milk production and their milk quality,’ that sends a signal that New York is open for the dairy business,” he said.
Matteson says this grant is very competitive and listed a few tips for those looking to apply.
“Don’t apply just to apply. Have a plan,” he said. “Take a look at the grant – how can I utilize it to increase my operation?”
Farmers or dairy co-ops can apply for as low as $50,000 or as high as $250,000. The deadline for applications is February 14, 2025. Matteson urges folks interested to submit before then.
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