New funding available for NY CAFO farms to implement enhanced nutrient and methane management practices

Proposals for competitive funding due soon

In June Governor Hochul announced the $21 million Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) Enhanced Nutrient and Methane Management Program (CAFO ENMP) to help CAFO-permitted farmers implement on-farm projects that enhance nutrient management, protect water quality, and reduce methane emissions.

Proposals for project funding are due October 28, 2024, and must be developed and submitted by Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD).

Interested producers should contact their county SWCDs as soon as possible to determine what’s feasible for application in this round, the next round, or possibly other future funding opportunities based on existing local farm interest and capacity.

The CAFO ENMP is a competitive funding program. A total of $14 million is available for eligible projects in the first round of the program, with an additional $7 million available for the second round. Proposals will be reviewed and ranked by the CAFO ENMP administrator, the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, according to the criteria in the RFP and awarded until program funds for the round are exhausted. Projects must have a direct benefit to nutrient and methane management on farm and will be funded in either of two tracks ($7 million each).

Track A – Nutrient and GHG Management BMP Systems (80 percent cost share)

• Composting Systems (animal) to safely produce compost from livestock mortalities.
• Erosion control systems (structural).
• Silage leachate control/treatment systems including collection, treatment and application of silage leachate.
• Feed management systems including services, software tools, equipment and monitoring to implement or enhance precision feed management on farms.
• Manure and ag waste treatment systems that include solid/liquid separation, bedding alternatives, or innovative manure treatments.
• Nutrient management systems (cultural) that enhance rate, placement, and timing of nutrient applications to crops including application equipment, custom applicator services, and tracking technology/equipment.
• Prescribed grazing systems that reduce the amount of manure being stored in anaerobic conditions during summer months.
• Waste storage and transfer systems that sufficiently demonstrate both a nutrient and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction benefit (but not longer-duration, open anaerobic liquid manure storages; see Track B for cover and flare project options for such storages). This could include systems that manage manure aerobically, composted bedded packs, or innovative waste collection and transfer systems.

Track B – Manure Storage Cover and Flare Projects (up to 100 percent cost share), including components such as:

• Roofs and covers
• Waste storage facilities
• Water transfer
• Pumping plants
• Waste treatment, including flares, nutrient recovery systems, etc.
• Waste separation facilities
• Nutrient management (updates to account for new systems)
• Water conveyance off a manure storage cover

Note: anaerobic digester units, themselves, are not eligible in the CAFO ENMP.

Please refer to the RFP for more details on eligible projects. Producers should coordinate with their local SWCD staff and CNMP planner (perhaps others, including their licensed professional engineer (PE)); determine which practice(s) they are interested in implementing based on plans (or designs); provide costs estimates associated with the project for budgeting purposes; and be able to identify how quickly the project can be implemented on their farm. SWCD staff, CNMP planners, CCE staff, and PRO-DAIRY are able to help with estimating project benefits (nutrients and methane) for proposals.

Award announcements are estimated for early winter 2025. Awarded projects will then move to the contract development and plan of work phase, with contracts executed with NYS likely in late 2025. Project implementation cannot begin until contracts are executed.

Resources

• To learn more about the program, visit the website here: agriculture.ny.gov/rfp-0326-cafo-enhanced-nutrient-and-methane-management-program.
• For questions about the CAFO ENMP request for proposals, contact: Jason Kokkinos NY State Soil & Water Conservation Committee, jason.kokkinos@agriculture.ny.gov.
• Interested farms, please contact your local SWCD office to gauge options for current or future funding opportunities: agriculture.ny.gov/soil-and-water/soil-water-conservation-district-offices.

PRO-DAIRY staff with expertise in these practices

• Jason Oliver, Dairy Environmental Systems Engineer, jpo53@cornell.edu
• Lauren Ray, Agricultural Sustainability & Energy Engineer, ler25@cornell.edu
• Kirsten Workman, Nutrient Management & Environmental Sustainability Specialist, kw566@cornell.edu