Grants Now Open for PA Dairy Farms to Work With Consultants

Are there big decisions ahead for your dairy operation?

Need support navigating the next steps for your business?

Do you want to grow, but aren’t sure what that looks like for your farm?

Whether you want to crunch the numbers to determine the feasibility of a project for your dairy operation, develop a business plan, pursue new opportunities or transformation projects, or get an outside perspective to smooth the transition from one generation to the next, the Center for Dairy Excellence has TWO grant programs that just opened to help move your dairy operation forward:

• Dairy Decisions Consultants (DDC) Grants – Now open! First-come, first-served.
• Transition and Transformation Team Grants – Now open! First-come, first-served.
• Dairy Productivity Grants – Opening October 1. Competitive grant.
• Dairy Excellence Grants – Opening October 1. Competitive grant. 

The Center leverages funds provided through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to provide these grants, and they can be a helpful starting point as you begin to implement new projects or ideas on your operation. Keep reading to hear from several PA dairy farmers who have used these grants!

Eligibility: Pennsylvania dairy farms are eligible to apply for these grants. Farms that have 35 or more lactating cows or dairy heifer raising operations with more than 100 dairy heifers are eligible to apply.

Application Window: These grants opened on September 1, and funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

About the Grant: The Dairy Decisions Consultants (DDC) program provides dairy farm families with one-on-one professional consulting resources to help make decisions that will shape the future of their farm in one of seven key areas, including:

• Employee Management & Communication
• Business Planning & Structure
• Product Marketing & Labeling
• Direct Marketing
• Animal Welfare
• Financial Management
• Pre-Farm Transition

Who Can Apply? Pennsylvania dairy farms that have 35 or more lactating cows or dairy heifer raising operations with more than 100 dairy heifers are eligible to apply.

Funding: Farms can receive up to $5,000 in funds to work with a Dairy Decisions Consultant. More than 16 consultants are available to work with farms.

How to Apply:

• Click here to apply online.
• Click here to download an application to mail back.