Dairy farm grants for 2018-2019 fiscal year now available

Grant funding for the 2018-19 fiscal year is now available through the Center for Dairy Excellence’s Dairy Decision Consultants (DDC) program, which provides dairy-farm families with professional consulting resources.

The center is a nonprofit organization initiated by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

The program covers employee relations and development, new business opportunity exploration, and business performance and reaching financial benchmarks.

Consultants help farm owners troubleshoot barriers, identify bottlenecks, and develop a long-term plan.

Farms are eligible to apply every three years. Farms that want to work with a consultant on financial and business performance can receive up to $3,500 while farms seeking to work with a consultant on employee relations and management can receive up to $2,000.

“The economic environment proves how critical it is to make strong decisions for your dairy business,” Melissa Anderson, program and operations manager for the Center for Dairy Excellence, said. “The DDC program puts resources around your dairy to help in making those decisions affecting your future.”

Anderson, who also serves as coordinator for the program, can help families identify a consultant that best fits their needs. A list of 16 designated consultants is currently available on the program’s website, though farms can specifically request other consultants who are subject to approval.

Funding for the program is made possible through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s support of Ag Excellence and is supported by the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association.