Nearly $21.6 million has been awarded to 103 farms across the state through the Dairy Modernization Grant Program to support New York’s dairy industry. The funding will help New York’s dairy farmers and dairy cooperatives invest in new equipment, expand storage capacity, and strengthen their operations, particularly as they face extreme weather events, providing a critical boost to New York’s dairy industry. The announcement comes as the State officially kicks off the celebration of Dairy Month this June.
“New York’s dairy industry is the backbone of our agricultural economy, supporting thousands of jobs across our rural communities,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “With this $21.6 million investment through the Dairy Modernization Grant Program, we’re giving hardworking dairy farmers and cooperatives the tools they need to grow, innovate and lead in a changing market. This is how we honor our agricultural legacy — by making sure it has a strong and sustainable future.”
In the Finger Lakes, 20 farms were awarded a total of more than $4.3 million.
Among the recipients:
Lawnhurst Farms, LLC (Ontario)
Ronald Raes Farms (Ontario)
VINCE DEBOOVER FARMS LLC (Ontario)
Will-O-Crest Farms, LLC (Ontario)
EL-VI Farms LLC (Wayne)
Maple Lawn Dairy LLC (Wayne)
Widmil Holsteins (Yates)
In Central New York, 18 farms were awarded a total of more than $3.9 million.
Among the recipients:
Allen Farms (Cayuga)
Fessenden Dairy LLC (Cayuga)
Lincoln Dairy LLC (Cayuga)
McGarr Farms LLC (Cayuga)
Patterson Farms, Inc. (Cayuga)
Ridgecrest Dairy LLC (Cayuga)
Scipio Springs Dairy, LLC (Cayuga)
In the Southern Tier, 13 farms were awarded a total of nearly $2.6 million.
Among the recipients:
Bergen Farms LLC (Schuyler)
Dunlea Dairy Farm (Steuben)
Vance Farm LLC (Steuben)
Skyline Farms (Steuben)
Bast Family Farm (Tioga)
Walnut Ridge Dairy (Tompkins)
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.
Funding for the Dairy Modernization Grant Program is a part of Governor Hochul’s 2024 State of the State and her overarching commitment to the dairy industry, including additional funds dedicated in the FY26 Enacted Budget to support a $10 million second round of the program, and further funding dedicated to research and to implement climate-resilient practices on dairy farms.
New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “I thank Governor Hochul for her continued support of New York agriculture and our state’s dairy industry, which is so critical to our agricultural economy. 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. I am so pleased to see this funding being awarded to these deserving farms, who will now have the additional resources they need to ensure that they can continue to provide the very best milk and dairy products, and keep operations and the supply chain going, even in the event of severe weather or emergency events.”
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