By Andi Anderson
Scenic View Dairy, based in Allegan County's Fennville, has been selected as one of 17 new projects to receive grant funding through the USDA's Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP). This program's objective is to strengthen domestic fertilizer manufacturing and promote cutting-edge fertilizer technologies.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a total of $52.6 million in awards as part of the second round of FPEP grants. These grants are financed through the USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation and are a part of a broader government initiative to encourage domestic competition and address rising fertilizer costs triggered by the conflict in Ukraine.
The Fennville-based Scenic View Dairy has been granted $2,262,399 to improve and expand its farm-based alternative nutrient production facilities. The primary goal of this expansion is to increase the use of biofertilizers at Scenic View Dairy in Fennville and Brook View Dairy in Freeport.
The project's description outlines that the dairy operations, collectively maintaining a dairy herd of 5,000 cows, will process anaerobically digested manure to sequester 85% to 95% of the phosphorus through solid/liquid separation. Subsequently, they will further process the separated solids.
Upon completion, the project is expected to enhance the domestic availability of nutrient alternatives, providing agricultural producers with more options and reducing the environmental impact. This approach will decrease the need for manure hauling and minimize diversion from lagoon storage, contributing to climate change mitigation.
The USDA allocated $500 million for FPEP in 2022 to promote innovative domestic fertilizer production. Due to the high demand for funding, in June 2023, the available funding for FPEP was increased to $900 million.
With over 350 businesses submitting requests totaling $3 billion in applications for the first two rounds of the program, the USDA has now awarded 33 projects, with investments exceeding $121 million since the program's launch approximately 18 months ago.
The USDA anticipates announcing further FPEP project selections in the coming months, particularly after the conclusion of the public comment period on November 15, 2023, for four projects situated in Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, and Virginia.
Scenic View Dairy's receipt of the USDA grant highlights the growing importance of domestic fertilizer production and innovative agricultural technologies. Stay updated on such developments and their impacts on the agricultural sector.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-vwalakte
Categories: Michigan, Livestock, Dairy Cattle