Center Awards $400,000 in Grants to Enhance Efficiency and Cow Comfort on PA Dairy Farms

The Dairy Excellence Grants Were Awarded to 80 Dairy Producers From 33 PA Counties

The Center for Dairy Excellence recently awarded a collective total of $400,000 to 80 Pennsylvania dairy producers through the new Dairy Excellence Grant program. Leveraging funds provided through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the program is designed to support dairy farm improvement projects that enhance efficiency and cow comfort.

“This was a very competitive grant program, with more than 190 dairy producers applying for funds to support projects that would make an immediate impact on cow comfort and overall dairy efficiency,” said Melissa Anderson, Dairy Programs and Operations Manager. “The 80 producers who received the grants are eager to modernize and enhance their operations with these projects. We look forward to seeing how they will improve their day-to-day productivity and commitment to animal care.”

Grant recipients are planning to use the funds to install new mattresses, curtains, tunnel fans, sprinklers, ventilation systems, stall mats, and more to enhance cow comfort. Several producers also plan to improve efficiency by repairing milking parlors, building new maternity barns, renovating calf barns, adding high-moisture corn feeders, installing gravity flow gutters, and investing in TMR tracking programs.

A total of 18,925 Pennsylvania dairy cows will be impacted by these improvement projects. Grant recipients’ herd sizes range from approximately 50 cows to 2,000 cows.

The dairy producers who received the grants represent a total of 33 counties, including:

  • Adams
  • Armstrong
  • Bedford
  • Berks
  • Blair
  • Bradford
  • Butler
  • Cambria
  • Centre
  • Chester
  • Clinton
  • Columbia
  • Cumberland
  • Dauphin
  • Erie
  • Fayette
  • Franklin
  • Jefferson
  • Juniata
  • Lancaster
  • Lawrence
  • Lebanon
  • Lehigh
  • Lycoming
  • McKean
  • Mifflin
  • Perry
  • Schuylkill
  • Snyder
  • Susquehanna
  • Tioga
  • Union
  • Wayne

Grant recipients were selected by a committee of industry professionals and will receive a 50 percent match, up to a maximum matching level of $5,000. The Dairy Excellence Grant is a competitive program, with hopes of offering a second round of grants to dairy producers in 2021.

For more information, visit www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/dairy-excellence-grants or contact Melissa Anderson at 717-346-0849.