The dairy checkoff’s new online tool can help dairy farmers and their advisors more easily identify grants and funding opportunities for conservation and on-farm improvements.
The Funding Opportunities Database, available through the Dairy Conservation Navigator, organizes federal, state and private funding programs into a single searchable platform tailored to dairy operations. Take a look: https://www.dairyconservation.org/grants
For many farmers, identifying funding programs can be one of the most challenging steps in pursuing new projects. Agricultural grants are spread across multiple federal agencies, state initiatives and private organizations, each with different deadlines, priorities and application processes.
“Dairy farms operate as highly integrated systems,” says Bridgett Hilshey, senior director of environmental stewardship at Dairy Management Inc. “Farmers are managing livestock, cropland, manure, water and energy use all at the same time. That creates many opportunities for improvement but also makes identifying the right funding sources more complicated.”
The database can help streamline that process by bringing conservation and business-focused funding opportunities together in one place.
The tool allows farmers and advisors to search programs by state or county and filter opportunities by funding focus areas such as manure management, energy, cropland, water quality or business development. Users can also sort by project type, eligibility requirements and funding levels to help identify programs that best fit specific projects.
The platform also identifies programs that are currently open, opening soon or recently closed, helping farmers and advisors plan for future funding cycles.
“Improving access to funding is one of the most consistent needs we hear from farmers and the organizations that support them,” adds DMI’s Jacqi Coleman, who leads partnership and education workstreams for U.S. dairy’s environmental sustainability initiatives. “This database helps remove some of that friction by making it easier to see what’s available and connect farmers with the resources that can help move projects forward.”
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