Dairy Plus Program Makes $34 Million Available for Advanced Manure Management Projects on California Farms

DAVIS, Calif., June 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Dairy Research Foundation (CDRF) today announced that California dairy farmers can now apply to the next round of the Dairy Plus Program, a collaborative initiative designed to support advanced manure management projects on dairy farms. A total of $34 million is available with individual projects receiving up to $1.25 million in funding.

The Dairy Plus Program aims to help dairy farms improve management practices, achieve environmental goals, and build resiliency. The program has completed two prior grant rounds, in which 37 projects have been awarded a total of $43.6 million. The program is funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) Initiative, and it is administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)'s Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS) in partnership with CDRF.  

"The Dairy Plus Program supports dairy farmers' important efforts to continually innovate and improve the protection of natural resources," said Denise Mullinax, Executive Director of CDRF. "By adopting state-of-the-art practices, dairy farms can address nitrogen and salt surpluses, prepare for changing water quality regulations, and work toward meeting multiple environmental targets. We encourage eligible producers to explore the program and determine whether it can help them reach their environmental and operational goals."

The 90-day application period for the third round of Dairy Plus funding opened on June 16. Applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. PT on September 14. This is anticipated to be the final round of funding.

The Dairy Plus Program supports several pathways for enhanced manure management, including the use of vermifiltration systems, manure solid separation via weeping wall, advanced solid-liquid separation with flocculants and/or bead filters, and advanced solid-liquid separation by centrifuge. Practices may be accompanied by the use of a digester and/or subsurface drip irrigation systems.

All projects eligible for Dairy Plus funding consideration must be paired with other key manure management practices or technologies, that have been either privately or publicly funded. Full eligibility requirements and application materials are available on the Dairy Plus Program webpage.

In addition to providing incentive funding, Dairy Plus includes technical assistance, environmental benefit measurement, and efforts to create new market opportunities for sustainably produced commodities.

The California Dairy Research Foundation (CDRF) is an independent non-profit organization that leads and delivers research and science-based programs to support an innovative and sustainable California dairy industry.

SOURCE California Dairy Research Foundation