The Dairy Excellence Grants Were Awarded to 25 Dairy Producers From 17 PA Counties
The Center for Dairy Excellence recently awarded a collective total of $125,000 to 25 Pennsylvania dairy producers through the second round of the Dairy Excellence Grant program. Leveraging funds provided through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Center has awarded a combined total of $525,000 to more than 100 Pennsylvania dairy producers between both rounds of the grant program. The grants were designed to support dairy farm improvement projects that enhance efficiency and cow comfort.
“With more than 200 dairy producers applying for this competitive grant program, it’s clear that Pennsylvania dairy producers are committed to efficiency and excellence at the farm level,” said Melissa Anderson, Dairy Programs and Operations Manager. “We’ve heard so many stories of how the funds have helped dairy producers achieve their goals, and we look forward to seeing how these improvement projects continue to drive performance and benefit Pennsylvania dairy herds.”
Grant recipients are planning to use the funds to install new waterbeds and mattresses, implement activity monitoring heat detection systems, and add fans in maternity barns among other projects. Several producers also plan to improve efficiency by installing feed tracking software, investing in TMR mixers, building new posts and gating, and re-grooving free stalls and alleys.
During the second round of funding, a total of 7,397 Pennsylvania dairy cows will be impacted by the improvement projects. Grant recipients’ herd sizes range from approximately 50 cows to 1,300 cows.
The dairy producers who received the grants represent a total of 17 counties, including:
- Beaver
- Berks
- Blair
- Bradford
- Butler
- Chester
- Cumberland
- Fayette
- Franklin
- Huntingdon
- Lancaster
- Mifflin
- Perry
- Schuylkill
- Somerset
- 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 another round of grants to dairy producers in March of 2022.
For more information, visit www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/dairy-excellence-grants or contact Melissa Anderson at 717-346-0849.