Dairy Dreams, Casco, was granted $2.5 million to create a fertilizer production system as part of a response to a global shortage of fertilizer created by the war in Ukraine.
The Fertilizer Production Expansion Program is funded by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Credit Corporation and is part of a government-wide effort to spur domestic competition and reduce costs.
Dairy Dreams will use the funds construct a nutrient concentration system and a pelleting system to convert manure to fertilizer, improving access to organic liquids and pellets. The technology will also convert one-third of manure inputs into clean, dischargeable water and is expected to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the hauling and disposal of manure.
In 2022, USDA made $500 million available under the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program, to increase innovative domestic fertilizer production, creating jobs in rural communities and providing more options to U.S. farmers. Due to strong demand for funding, in June 2023, USDA increased the funding available to $900 million.
The department received requests for $3 billion in applications from more than 350 businesses for the first two rounds of the program.
