BURLINGTON – Several funding opportunities are available to Vermont dairy producers to improve infrastructure, purchase equipment and make on-farm improvements for long-term farm viability and climate and economic resilience.
To help producers learn about grants and other types of funding, the University of Vermont (UVM) Extension Dairy Team will sponsor free workshops at two locations. The October 28 workshop will take place at the Peoples Trust Company, 59 Franklin Park West, St. Albans. It will be repeated at the UVM Extension office, 23 Pond Ln., Ste. 300, Middlebury, on October 30.
Both workshops will run from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with lunch included. At the Middlebury site, lunch is courtesy of the Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition.
Registration is required by October 27 at go.uvm.edu/dairy-funding. To request a disability-related accommodation, farmers should contact Amber Machia at (802) 656-7615 or [email protected] by October 14.
Each workshop will begin with an overview of grants and funding opportunities available through Vermont agencies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the New England Dairy Business Innovation Center. Presenters will review the different avenues to apply for funding, the 2024-2025 schedule and the types of projects eligible for funding with a special focus on climate-smart agriculture.
They also will share tips for navigating the application process, recommend resources for technical assistance and discuss how to collect supporting data and documentation for projects. In addition, they will provide guidance for participants to help them develop an effective mission and purpose statement for their business for use on any application.
