By: Carmelle Druchniak

We all know the New England dairy industry is a critical player in the region’s economic vitality (not to mention providing cultural, scenic and other positives to our life here in the region!), so we’re pleased to announce that the Keep Local Farms Fund this year has provided $104,900 in grants to dairy-related education and other initiatives.

The Keep Local Farms Fund supports the long-term viability of New England’s dairy farms, partnering with nonprofit organizations to support projects and programs dedicated to educating New Englanders about dairy farming, promoting purchases of milk and other dairy foods, and supporting the sustainability of the region’s cow dairies.

The fund is managed by the Vermont Community Foundation and funds are raised by the New England Dairy Promotion Board.

Keep Local Farms Fund grants provide critical support with the goal of supporting the long-term sustainability of the New England dairy sector as a whole. Thanks to our donor network, these funds provide education, outreach, and training opportunities across the region.

Among the 2016 recipients:

• DairyVision Vermont – To support proposed outreach and education to farmers in the continuing discussion of water quality issues and training on business issues, including human resources and finance.
• University of Vermont – To support Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition’s outreach and education program for dairy farmers in Vermont.
• University of New Hampshire Foundation – To provide financial aid for students in the Applied Animal Science Dairy Management program at the UNH Thompson School of Applied Sciences
• Farm Fresh Rhode Island — To promote the consumption of dairy products in cafeteria settings through their inclusion in a new Harvest of the Month program.
• Land for Good — To support outreach, training and direct farm transfer planning and succession advising to dairy farms in New England, with an emphasis on farms in Maine, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
• Third Sector New England — Will incorporate dairy promotion into New England-wide Harvest of the Month efforts, including sessions at its next Summit.

Keep Local Farms Fund donors include Agri-Mark/New England Family Dairy Farms Co-op; Cooperative Development Institute; Dean Foods Company; HP Hood; Massachusetts Dairy Industry Promotion; MooVM; Sigma Alpha Professional Ag Sorority at the University of New Hampshire; the Vermont Ski Areas Association; and the Woodstock Foundation.

Boston University, St. Michael’s College, Harvard University, and the University of Vermont have also been significant contributors to the Keep Local Farms Fund.

For more information on the Keep Local Farms Fund, click here.