To help spread the word about this grant’s awardees, New York Ag Commissioner Richard A. Ball visited the Glory Days Farm on June 2. Twenty-six different farms will receive funding from a total of nearly $22 million through the Dairy Modernization Grant Program.

Ball said, “This funding will help ensure local dairy farmers and help the dairymen continue providing the very best quality milk and milk products as possible while also keeping their operations going in the event of any emergency situations … Our dairy farmers and processors are second to none when it comes to the care they give to the land and their animals and the quality of their milk products.”

In the Mohawk Valley, 11 farms were awarded a total of more than $2.1 million. In the North Country, 15 farms were awarded more than $3.3 million. The Dairy Modernization Grant program awarded eligible applicants for projects to expand on-farm milk storage capacity, improve the transportation and storage of milk and strengthen the dairy industry.

The program supports the needs of dairy farmers by facilitating the installation of critical technological and infrastructural improvements that will improve dairy supply chain efficiency and avoid the need for raw milk dumping during emergency events.

William Beyer, one of the owners of Glory Days Farm, said, “Our aspiration is for our farm and farms like ours to remain viable for future generations. The Dairy Modernization Grant Program gives farms like ours the opportunity to progress and innovate and continue being the lifeblood of our communities. This program encourages the adoption of efficient technology that improves food safety with more consideration to environmental impacts, securing the future of dairy in New York.”

Glory Days Farm, a New York State Grown & Certified participant, will now be able to install new equipment needed on the farm, including a 3,000-gallon bulk tank, a washer, two new compressors and a permanent generator to maintain power supply in the event of extreme weather, according to officials.

Furthermore, the project will improve storage capacity, which will prevent dumped milk and provide a cost savings to Glory Days Farm by allowing them to move to every-other-day milk pick-up and reducing stop and hauling costs.

Additionally, new cooling technology will help the farm save energy and ensure milk quality while the on-demand generator will allow for milk transfer in the event of disruptions.

The following farms in their respective counties were awarded in the grant program:

Mohawk Valley

Adam Hayes Farm (Fulton)

Oakridge View LLC (Fulton)

Entwistle Bros. Farm LLC (Herkimer)

Tinkler Farms (Herkimer)

Bridgewater Farms LLC (Oneida)

Vaill Brothers LLC (Oneida)

Lea Murcray DBA the Grazing Edge Dairy (Otsego)

Argus Acres LLC (Schoharie)

CDS Tillapaugh LLC (Schoharie)

Debra/Eric Stanton (Schoharie)

Schultz Bros. Farm Inc. (Schoharie)

North Country

Leduc’s Green Acre Farm LLC (Clinton)

The William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute (Clinton)

CTS Dairy (Jefferson)

Locust Hill Dairy LLC (Jefferson)

North Harbor Dairy LLC (Jefferson)

Sheland Farms LLC (Jefferson)

Celtic Acres LLC (Lewis)

Glory Days Farm (Lewis)

Irish Settlement Farm (Lewis)

Moserdale Dairy (Lewis)

Murrock Farms LLC (Lewis)

Silvery Falls Farms LLC (Lewis)

J&J Farms (St. Lawrence)

River Breeze Dairy LLC (St. Lawrence)

Royal J. Acres LLC (St. Lawrence)

Stauffer Farms LLC (St. Lawrence)