Transition grants for farmers leaving livestock behind

Nov 13, 2024
By Farms.com

New funding opportunities for sustainable crop farming

In an effort to support sustainable farming and address challenges posed by the bird flu crisis, the Physicians Committee is providing grants to farmers transitioning from animal agriculture to crops or orchards. This program aims to facilitate a shift towards more environmentally friendly and health-promoting agricultural practices.

Eligible farmers can receive up to $15,000 to help with their transition, with a focus on those affected by bird flu. Applicants are encouraged to describe their current operations and detail how the grant would be utilized, such as for starting an orchard or crop field.

Roxanne Becker, MBChB, a medical expert at the Physicians Committee, advocates for the health benefits of plant-based farming - “Blueberries, beans, greens, and other plant-based foods grown by U.S. farmers can help people improve heart health, prevent diabetes, and maintain a healthy weight, among other benefits.”

The transition grants are inspired by successful cases like the Giacomazzi family, who have already made significant changes from dairy to almond farming in California. Farmers have until March 3, 2025, to submit their applications.

This initiative not only helps farmers adapt to a changing agricultural landscape but also supports broader public health and environmental goals by reducing the impact of intensive animal farming, associated with high methane emissions and the spread of zoonotic diseases.

Video: Swine Industry Advances: Biodigesters Lower Emissions and Increase Profits

Analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG emissions) in the Canadian swine sector found that CH4 emissions from manure were the largest contributor to the overall emissions, followed by emissions from energy use and crop production.

This innovative project, "Improving Swine Manure-Digestate Management Practices Towards Carbon Neutrality With Net Zero Emission Concepts," from Dr. Rajinikanth Rajagopal, under Swine Cluster 4, seeks to develop strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

While the management of manure can be very demanding and expensive for swine operations, it can also be viewed as an opportunity for GHG mitigation, as manure storage is an emission source built and managed by swine producers. Moreover, the majority of CH4 emissions from manure occur during a short period of time in the summer, which can potentially be mitigated with targeted intervention.

In tandem with understanding baseline emissions, Dr. Rajagopal's work focuses on evaluating emission mitigation options. Manure additives have the potential of reducing manure methane emissions. Additives can be deployed relatively quickly, enabling near-term emission reductions while biodigesters are being built. Furthermore, additives can be a long-term solution at farms where biogas is not feasible (e.g., when it’s too far from a central digester). Similarly, after biodigestion, additives can also be used to further reduce emissions from storage to minimize the carbon intensity of the bioenergy.