REPORT: 26 farms throughout the Mohawk Valley and North Country receive funding from Dairy Modernization Grant Program
LEWIS COUNTY- 26 different farms throughout our local region, including the Mohawk Valley and the North Country, will receive funding portions out of a total of nearly $22 million through the Dairy Modernization Grant Program.
To help spread the word about this development, New York’s Agriculture Commissioner, Richard A. Ball, visited the Glory Days Farm on Monday in Lewis County.
Be sure to listen to our latest on-air segment with the Ag Commissioner from Wednesday, June 11, 2025:
He says this funding will help ensure local dairy farmers can continue providing the very best quality milk and products as possible, while also keeping their operations going in the event of any emergency situations.
"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," he said.
"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.”
In the Mohawk Valley, 11 farms were awarded a total of more than $2.1 million. Meanwhile in the North Country, 15 farms were awarded a total of more than $3.3 million. Review the full list of recipients here.
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.
“Our aspiration is for our farm and farms like ours to remain viable for future generations," the Beyer family, owners of Glory Days Farm, said.
"The Dairy Modernization Grant Program gives farms like ours the opportunity to progress and innovate, and continue being the lifeblood of our communities. This program encourages the adoption of efficient technology that improves food safety with more consideration to environmental impacts, securing the future of dairy in New York.”
As part of the program, Glory Days Farm, a New York State Grown & Certified participant, will now be able to install new equipment needed on the farm, including a 3,000-gallon bulk tank, washer, two new compressors, and a permanent generator to maintain power supply in the event of extreme weather, according to officials.
Furthermore, the project will improve storage capacity, which will prevent dumped milk and provide a cost savings to Glory Days Farm by allowing them to move to every-other-day milk pickup and reducing stop and hauling costs.
Additionally, new cooling technology will help the farm save energy and ensure milk quality, while the on-demand generator will allow for milk transfer in the event of disruptions.
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.
Image via New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
