By Beth Falk, NE-DBIC Grant Specialist
NE-DBIC staff crossed the border from Vermont into neighboring New Hampshire recently to visit three dairy farms.
These grantees have made great strides with infrastructure upgrades that will improve the safety and comfort of their farmworkers and animals while also ensuring the long-term viability of their dairy farms.
LeClair Acres Farm
Three generations of the LeClair family live in Claremont, New Hampshire, where Jason LeClair introduced us to his herd of 300 dairy cattle and to the improvements funded by his On-Farm Milk Storage & Handling Grant. LeClair was able to improve milk cooling, reduce energy costs, and minimize product waste by replacing an aging plate cooler and condenser units and installing a fully computerized bulk tank control system.
We also met some of the farm’s newest herd members and saw the beginnings of a calf barn that will consolidate calves and young heifers in a new building with upgrades including a “MilkTaxi” feeding system and monitoring tags to be funded by a Dairy Farm Improvement & Modernization Grant.
Brookfield Farm
Chris and Holly Gowdy operate a certified organic dairy farm in Walpole, New Hampshire. A Dairy Farm Innovation & Alternative Management grant (now the Dairy Farm Improvement & Modernization Grant) enabled the Gowdys to purchase a vertical manure spreader from the UK, more effectively handling their bedded pack barn waste and improving soil quality. This impressive piece of equipment (shown here with DBIC staffer Rebecca Brocket demonstrating the scale of its tire) has been featured in educational presentations for regional farmers and was even one of the highlights of Walpole’s 4th of July parade! Chris also explained how an On-Farm Milk Storage & Handling Grant enabled the purchase of a new bulk tank and vacuum pump that suit the special needs of his small-scale dairy, maximizing milk quality and energy efficiency.
Britton Farm
During our next stop in Walpole, Larry Britton showed us the grant-funded upgrades that will increase energy and labor efficiencies and improve cow comfort on his family’s 300-acre farm. The On-Farm Milk Storage & Handling Grant program enabled the Brittons to replace two small aging bulk storage tanks with a new, larger tank, eliminating hours of maintenance work and troubleshooting. Their recent Dairy Farm Improvement & Modernization Grant award is part of a long-term plan to ensure farm viability for the next generation, represented by Larry’s 19-year-old son Wyatt, who described plans to install a swing-ten milking parlor in the Brittons’ existing barn space. Adapting existing structures for new uses demonstrates the classic farmer ingenuity and resource conservation that’s a source of real pride for so many of our grantees.
The Dairy Farm Improvement & Modernization Grant opens again in October.
Farmers can apply for funding to update outdated systems or to try new and innovative solutions that lead to enhanced farm viability, improved milk quality, reduced climate impacts, and/or improved worker conditions.
