{"id":248,"date":"2026-01-14T11:18:06","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T19:18:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/?p=248"},"modified":"2026-01-14T11:18:06","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T19:18:06","slug":"catch-up-the-latest-dairy-methane-reduction-investments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2026\/01\/14\/catch-up-the-latest-dairy-methane-reduction-investments\/","title":{"rendered":"Catch Up: The Latest Dairy Methane Reduction Investments\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In case you missed it,\u00a0three of the\u00a0manure\u00a0methane reduction\u00a0grant\u00a0programs\u00a0administered by\u00a0CDFA\u00a0OARS announced awards in December 2025, closing out the year with\u00a0some exciting news.\u00a0The\u00a0awarded projects\u00a0represent\u00a0important progress\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0dairy and livestock\u00a0sector\u00a0towards meeting the State\u2019s\u00a0methane reduction targets and\u00a0expands\u00a0the overall impact of these incentive programs.\u00a0Including\u00a0the newest awards,\u00a0projects supported by\u00a0the three\u00a0programs to date\u00a0will reduce an estimated 27.43 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents\u00a0over their\u00a0minimum\u00a0projected\u00a0lifetimes.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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California dairy cows and the environment can\u00a0benefit\u00a0from improved manure management projects.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

AMMP and DDRDP: <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the fall of 2025, the Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) and the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP) received $7 million in Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds as part of an amendment to the Budget Act of 2025 \u2013 these funds were part of a previous appropriation split across two fiscal years. The arrival of the $7 million allowed the two programs to offer some additional awards to those that had applied in the most recent grant round but had not yet received an award due to insufficient funds, boosting the total number of projects captured by the 2024 AMMP and 2024 DDRDP solicitations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In December 2025<\/a>, the AMMP announced the addition of 5 new projects<\/a>, receiving $3.69 million in grant funds, to the 25 projects originally awarded in April 2025. The DDRDP added 2 new projects<\/a>, receiving $2.6 million, to its list of 5 originally awarded projects.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dairy Plus Program:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dairy Plus Program is a collaborative effort between CDFA and the California Dairy Research Foundation, funded by the USDA Advancing Markets for Producers initiative. Just before the end of 2025, DPP announced<\/a> awards for its second grant solicitation round. The program awarded 23 projects associated with newly awarded, in-progress, or previously completed AMMP<\/a> or DDRDP<\/a> projects a total of nearly $27 million in federal grant funding, matched by more than $28 million from private sources and state Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite a lengthy delay due to federal transitions, the awards were highly anticipated as these projects install advanced, larger scale manure management practices. These practices not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also help manage nitrogen and salt surplus, improving water quality and making great strides in dairy sustainability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay up to date on methane reduction program news, including the next call for applications for the Dairy Plus Program<\/a> expected in early 2026 \u2013 visit our webpages or follow us on social media! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In case you missed it,\u00a0three of the\u00a0manure\u00a0methane reduction\u00a0grant\u00a0programs\u00a0administered by\u00a0CDFA\u00a0OARS announced awards in December 2025, closing out the year with\u00a0some exciting news.\u00a0The\u00a0awarded projects\u00a0represent\u00a0important progress\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0dairy and livestock\u00a0sector\u00a0towards meeting the State\u2019s\u00a0methane reduction targets and\u00a0expands\u00a0the overall impact of these incentive programs.\u00a0Including\u00a0the newest awards,\u00a0projects supported by\u00a0the three\u00a0programs to date\u00a0will reduce an estimated 27.43 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents\u00a0over … Continue reading Catch Up: The Latest Dairy Methane Reduction Investments\u00a0<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":249,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[3,5],"class_list":["post-248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-informational","tag-information","tag-methane-reduction","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/methane-award-recap_California-dairy-cows-and-the-environment-can-benefit-from-improved-manure-management-projects.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":26,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2025\/01\/23\/sustainability-spotlight-vander-woude-dairys-digester\/","url_meta":{"origin":248,"position":0},"title":"Anaerobic Dairy Digester Converts Methane to Renewable Natural Gas in Merced County","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"January 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Vander Woude Dairy is transforming sustainability in agriculture. This family-owned farm in Merced, California, has implemented a cutting-edge methane digester, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 24,000 MTCO\u2082e annually and converting waste into Renewable Compressed Natural Gas (R-CNG). With state support and local partnerships, the project also creates jobs and empowers\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Producer Success Story"","block_context":{"text":"Producer Success Story","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/category\/producer-success-story\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Wordpress-Featured-Image-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Wordpress-Featured-Image-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Wordpress-Featured-Image-2.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Wordpress-Featured-Image-2.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Wordpress-Featured-Image-2.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":171,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2025\/07\/28\/investing-in-impact-how-the-oars-team-helps-deliver-climate-solutions-on-california-dairy-and-livestock-farms\/","url_meta":{"origin":248,"position":1},"title":"Investing in Impact: How the OARS Team Helps Deliver Climate Solutions on California Dairy and Livestock Farms\u00a0","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"July 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The CDFA Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS) is dedicated to supporting California's dairy and livestock farmers in their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As proof of that, the CDFA\u2019s Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) and Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP) awarded nearly $25 million\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Informational"","block_context":{"text":"Informational","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/category\/informational\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A technical assistance provider and rancher are reviewing data at a dairy farm","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AdobeStock_289583412_Preview-e1753726652620.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AdobeStock_289583412_Preview-e1753726652620.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AdobeStock_289583412_Preview-e1753726652620.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AdobeStock_289583412_Preview-e1753726652620.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":337,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2026\/06\/01\/catching-up-with-vander-woude-dairy\/","url_meta":{"origin":248,"position":2},"title":"Catching Up with Vander Woude Dairy\u00a0","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"June 1, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Have you ever stopped to think about how your milk or butter\u00a0actually gets\u00a0to your table?\u00a0 We recently caught up with the family behind Vander Woude Dairy in Merced, and the conversation quickly went beyond cows and equipment. At its heart, their story is about family, responsibility,\u00a0a\u00a0passion for dairy farming\u00a0and a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Producer Success Story"","block_context":{"text":"Producer Success Story","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/category\/producer-success-story\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Daryl+Simon Vander Woude","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Dary-Simon.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Dary-Simon.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Dary-Simon.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Dary-Simon.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":279,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2026\/02\/02\/hilmar-cluster-making-a-real-difference\/","url_meta":{"origin":248,"position":3},"title":"Hilmar Cluster: Making a Real Difference\u00a0","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"February 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Through the implementation of anaerobic digesters, CalBioGas Hilmar LLC (Hilmar Cluster), working with Hilmar dairy farmers, are leading the way toward a more sustainable future for their surrounding community. \u00a0Cluster projects consist of a hub facility for centralized operations, including the collection of biogas from multiple dairy digesters. 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