The California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) has awarded $21.6 million in grant funding to 40 alternative manure management projects across California.

These projects, part of the Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP), will reduce greenhouse gas emissions on California dairy farms and livestock operations by using manure management practices that are alternatives to dairy digesters (i.e., non-digester projects), CDFA said.

When livestock manure decomposes in wet conditions, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas 72 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, CDFA said, adding that changing manure management practices so manure is handled in a dry form can help significantly reduce methane emissions. These reductions contribute to the state’s overall short-lived climate pollutant strategy, which aims to reduce California’s methane emissions to 40% below 2013 levels by 2030.

“I am excited to see the diversity of non-digester manure management practices among these projects to help meet the state’s climate goals,” CDFA secretary Karen Ross said.

CDFA said financial assistance for the implementation of non-digester practices comes from California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that uses cap-and-trade program funds to support the state’s climate goals. CDFA and other state agencies are investing these proceeds in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide additional benefits to California communities. AMMP grant recipients will provide an estimated $2.7 million in matching funds for the development of their projects.

Information about the 2018 Alternative Manure Management Program projects is available at www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/AMMP.