$1.75M Grant to Boost Organic Dairy Sales in Schools, Youth Programs

Funding will support small and mid-sized organic dairy producers 

May 29, 2025 – The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) announces a new grant made possible through the USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation. With total funding of $1,750,000, the Organic Dairy Product Promotion (ODPP) Grant will make it easier for youth-based centers to serve regionally produced USDA-certified organic dairy products to students across the Northeast.  

“The Organic Dairy Product Promotion grant program is a strategic investment in our communities and our future, and is sorely needed at this time,” said Peter Allison, Executive Director of Farm to Institution New England. “These funds will increase access to healthy and nutritious organic dairy products for youth in the Northeast, while supporting organic dairy farmers.” 

“There’s nothing like seeing kids go through the lunch line with fresh, local organic milk,” said Harley Sterling, Food Service Director for Windham Northeast Supervisory Union. “Grants like NE-DBIC’s make that possible—helping schools serve real food, cut waste, and support local farms. It’s a powerful investment in student nutrition, education, and our food system.” 

Funded projects will support the expansion and addition of organic dairy for program meal services. Grant funds are focused on the inclusion of organic dairy as an option and are not designed to displace other locally produced and procured dairy products. 

“This grant is a critical opportunity to increase access to high-quality, organic dairy across the Northeast,” said Olga Moriarty, Executive Director of the Northeast Organic Family Farming Partnership. “It helps our small and mid-sized organic farms reach a largely untapped institutional market, while ensuring more children get access to organic milk. As we’ve shown through our pilot with Miller Farm and Vermont schools, this model can work — and it can scale.” 

Individual grants will range from $50,000 - $500,000 with no match requirement.  Grant funds can be used for the purchase price of organic dairy products. . 

Eligible applicants include licensed dairy processors, distributors who primarily serve wholesale and/or institutional buyers, and youth institutions including K-12 schools, colleges, afterschool programs, and summer feeding programs that are currently eligible to participate in federal child nutrition programs.  

This program is open to applicants in 11 Northeast states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Applicants from outside of the region may apply if they currently provide processing or distribution services within the Northeast region. 

The Request for Applications is available now on the NE-DBIC website: https://nedairyinnovation.com/grants/organic-dairy-product-promotion-grant/  

The application will be open June 10 – July 31, 2025 at 2 PM ET. This is the first of two times that this grant will be offered. 

The NE-DBIC's investment and project strategy promotes innovation and resiliency for regional production of dairy products across an 11-state Northeast region.  Hosted by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM), the NE-DBIC is funded through the USDA-AMS. For more information on NE-DBIC, visit:  https://nedairyinnovation.com 

For questions, please contact:

Laura Ginsburg

NE-DBIC Lead and VAAFM Dairy Strategy & Innovation Manager
802-522-2252 | Laura.Ginsburg@vermont.gov 

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Katie Spring (she/her) | NE-DBIC Communications Manager | 802-522-3186