Dairy Plus 101: What Dairy Farmers Need to Know Before September 14

The California Department of Food and Agriculture is accepting applications for the final round of Dairy Plus funding, a grant program that helps dairy farmers invest in advanced manure management technology. In this episode of Seen & Herd, host Amanda Russell sits down with Western United Dairies' Director of Environmental Services and Regulatory Affairs, Paul Sousa, to break down what Dairy Plus covers, which technologies qualify, and how much funding is available before applications close on September 14.Topics Discussed0:42  What Dairy Plus is and how it's funded1:34  Application deadline: September 142:00  Why the timing matters given new water qualityregulations2:50  The whole farm nitrogen balance, explained4:02  How Dairy Plus differs from manure separators fundedthrough AMMP5:02  Eligible technologies: vermifiltration, weeping wallseparation, flocculant- or bead-assisted separation, and centrifuge separation5:47  Pairing Dairy Plus technology with a digester(optional, not required)6:10  Add-on components: composting and subsurface dripirrigation7:15  CDQAP field day, July 23, Stanislaus County7:53  CDQAP webinar, July 30, on choosing the righttechnology9:12  Is Dairy Plus right for every dairy?10:22  Funding details: up to $1.25 million per project, nomatching funds required, capped at $750 per cow11:05  First steps for dairy farmers who think Dairy Plusmight be a fit12:06  Why contacting your equipment vendor early matters13:01  Where to find the official Request for GrantApplicationsResources & Links• Dairy Plus Request for Grant Applications• CDQAP flyer on Dairy Plus technologies• CDQAP July 30 webinar registration• Contact Paul Sousa: [email protected]