The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is now accepting grant applications from commercial dairies and livestock operations for the installation of equipment and implementation of practices that result in long-term methane emissions reductions and maximize environmental co-benefits. Since 2015, CDFA’s dairy and livestock methane programs have funded 308 incentive projects that will result in the reduction of more than 25.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e) once completed. This is equivalent to removing a total of 6.2 million gasoline powered cars from the road.

“California has made significant progress in supporting farmers to reduce methane emissions from manure management,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “Through our incentive programs, we’ve enabled dairy and livestock farmers to adopt alternative manure practices and install anaerobic digesters — establishing a successful model for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. I’m excited for additional projects under these important programs to further advance our efforts together with the dairy and livestock families.”

CDFA is offering both of its flagship dairy and livestock methane reduction grants: the Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) and the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP). AMMP has approximately $17.4 million available, and DDRDP has approximately $8 million available for awards.

CDFA is also opening a second grant-round for its Dairy Plus Program, a collaborative effort between the CDFA and the California Dairy Research Foundation (CDRF) funded by the USDA Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities program. The Dairy Plus Program offers the opportunity to amplify the reach and scope of traditional AMMP and DDRDP projects through the implementation of advanced manure management practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address nitrogen and salts surplus. The program already awarded 14 projects in 2023 and has $58 million in funding available for additional grants. New AMMP and DDRDP applicants, as well as previous AMMP and DDRDP recipients with in-progress or completed projects, are eligible to apply to the Dairy Plus Program.

The application deadline for all three programs is Friday, October 18, 2024 by 5:00 PM PT. Prospective applicants can find individual program details below:

Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP)

Detailed information including eligibility, application process and requirements, application assistance workshops conducted by CDFA, and availability of free technical assistance for prospective applicants provided by CDFA-funded Technical Assistance Providers and UC ANR Climate Smart Agriculture Community Education Specialists is available at www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/AMMP.

Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP)

Detailed information including eligibility, application process and requirements, application assistance workshops conducted by CDFA, and community outreach resources is available at www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/ddrdp.

Dairy Plus Program

Detailed information including eligibility, application process and requirements, and application assistance workshops conducted by CDFA is available at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/dairyplus/.

AMMP and DDRDP are part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities.