Dairy processors in Maine and across the Northeast can now apply for the Dairy Processor Modernization Grant through the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center. With a total of $1.2 million in funding, this grant will fund specialized equipment to help processors expand capacity, increase efficiencies and improve packaging.
Michael Moody brings his cows back into their barn after they were milked at Sheepscot Valley Farm on March 30. Derek Davis / Portland Press Herald file photo
Dairy processors play a vital role in regional food supply. Whether it’s pasteurization for fluid milk sales or processing milk into cheese, yogurt, butter and other dairy products, modernizing regional processing capacity leads to a more resilient dairy sector, according to the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets.
Along with bolstering the regional food system, projects from this grant will lead to workforce expansion, an increase in value of milk for farmers and new partnerships across the dairy supply chain.
Grants will range from $15,000–$350,000 with a 25% (cash or in-kind) match commitment required. Learn more about the grant on the center’s website at nedairyinnovation.com/grants/dairy-processor-modernization-grant/.
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