Pennsylvania dairy producers who are looking to improve profitability, create a transition plan or plan a major business transformation are encouraged to apply for one of three team grant opportunities available through the Center for Dairy Excellence’s On-Farm Resource Program.

The team grants allow dairy producers to establish on-farm teams and take advantage of professional consulting and mentorship resources. The application period opened in October, and limited grants are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Center for Dairy Excellence offers three types of team grants: dairy profit team, dairy transition team or dairy transformation team. Each team consists of industry experts and trusted advisers, and the center leverages funds provided through the commonwealth to provide these grants to individual farms.

“Whether farms are looking to identify bottlenecks that are hurting profitability or develop a plan that smooths the road for transitioning to the next generation, our team grants provide an outside perspective that can be extremely beneficial when making decisions that impact the future of your operation,” says Melissa Anderson, programs and operations manager at the Center for Dairy Excellence.

Here are more details on the grants available:

• Dairy profit teams. The profit team’s function is to serve as a group of advisers for the farm, addressing challenges and identifying opportunities for greater profitability. Dairy farms can receive up to $1,500 in reimbursements for paid team members and discovery-related costs.

• Dairy transition teams. This team is designed to help farms develop a transition or succession plan. The grant covers up to $3,500 of the cost of paid team members, discovery-related costs and attorney expenses.

• Dairy transformation teams. This option allows producers to establish a team to help plan and execute a major business transformation. Farms can receive up to $3,500 to establish a team to help plan and work through their transformation. Manure storage facility improvements do not qualify as eligible transformation team projects.

On-farm teams consist of the farm’s most trusted advisers, with a facilitator designated to coordinate meetings and workflow. Farms with existing teams, or those who want to establish a team to work in an advisory role, can receive reimbursements for paid team members and discovery-related costs.

For all grant programs offered by the center, program participants must demonstrate industry and farm commitment by documenting in-kind and financial match contributions to the program reimbursements received. Farms must complete an application and submit the required $100 application fee to participate in the advisory teams.

Once approved, farmers can use the grant to be reimbursed for any qualified expenses incurred from July 1, 2020, to May 31, 2021.

Visit centerfordairyexcellence.org/grants to apply online or download a printed application. Contact Melissa Anderson at 717-636-0779 or via email at [email protected] with questions.

Source: Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.