Dairy program proposed by Schumer would boost small local farms
SARATOGA SPRINGS — A proposed federal initiative is designed to help upstate New York dairy farmers supply the booming Greek yogurt industry. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., has introduced a $5 million pilot “dairy block grant program” as an amendment to the Farm Bill, similar to an existing specialty crops program. The goal is to help small farms in particular obtain needed expertise with things such as nutrition or business management, which they might not be able to afford otherwise.
“I think it would help dairy farmers,” said Marge Randles, co-owner of Argyle Cheese Farmer, a cheese and yogurt company. “Cornell Cooperative Extension offered a lot of these things, but their budgets have been cut.”
Schumer cited several examples of the kind of help block grants could provide. For example, funding could allow farmers to hire animal nutritionists to customize cow feeding programs or specialists on housing and breeding to boost milk production.
Also, grants could be used to bring in consultants on nutrient management or to help farmers write and execute business plans. “A similar block grant program already exists for specialty crops and has paid great dividends,” Schumer said. “It’s time we focus our attention on keeping the small dairy farms competitive and on the cutting-edge because they create jobs and multiply economic growth.” New York is the nation’s fourth-largest dairy producer, and dairy accounts for half of all New York agricultural receipts, or more than $3 billion annually.
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