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New Dairy Grant Program to Boost Farm Growth and Promote Sustainability

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has opened applications for the Dairy Profitability Enhancement Grant, a new initiative aimed at improving financial stability and long-term sustainability for dairy farms across the state. This program, formally known as the Dairy Profitability and Enhancement Program (DPEP), provides technical assistance, resources, and guidance to farms of all sizes, helping them strengthen operations through individual support, team-based approaches, and other proven methods.

The grant is available to regional or statewide organizations that work directly with dairy farms, ensuring that farmers have access to the tools and knowledge necessary to remain competitive and financially resilient. Eligible projects must be located within Minnesota and can only commence after grant contracts are signed.

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Designing a Robotic Berry Picker

Video: Designing a Robotic Berry Picker


Since blackberries must be harvested by hand, the process is time-consuming and labor-intensive. To support a growing blackberry industry in Arkansas, food science associate professor Renee Threlfall is collaborating with mechanical engineering assistant professor Anthony Gunderman to develop a mechanical harvesting system. Most recently, the team designed a device to measure the force needed to pick a blackberry without damaging it. The data from this device will help inform the next stage of development and move the team closer to the goal of a fully autonomous robotic berry picker. The device was developed by Gunderman, with Yue Chen, a former U of A professor now at Georgia Tech, and Jeremy Collins, then a U of A undergraduate engineering student. To determine the force needed to pick blackberries without damage, the engineers worked with Threlfall and Andrea Myers, then a graduate student.