CDFA webinar outlines 2026 Dairy Plus grant: $34M available, applications due Sept. 14

The California Department of Food and Agriculture on July 8 held an application-assistance webinar for the 2026 Dairy Plus competitive grant, detailing who may apply, what attachments are required, how the CARB benefits calculator must be used to estimate greenhouse-gas reductions, and how to submit in CDFAGOATS.

Roberta Franco, supervisor of methane reduction programs at CDFAOffice of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability, said the broader USDA-backed grant totals $85 million and that roughly $75 million supports the Dairy Plus project. "So for funding, we have approximately $34,000,000 available this year with a maximum of $1,250,000 per project and capped at $750 per cow," Franco said, summarizing the award limits.

Why it matters: Dairy Plus funds on-farm advanced manure-management practices intended to reduce methane and address nitrogen and salt surplus. CDFA and partners have already funded projects across several counties and present the 2026 solicitation as the final round to reach the cohort of producers promised to USDA.

Who can apply and key dates: Applicants must be California dairy producers with a business address and a farm in California; foreign entities are ineligible. Producers who have in-progress or completed AMP or DDRDP projects using AMP-/DDRDP-like practices remain eligible. Franco reiterated the application deadline: "Applications are due on September 14 at 5PM Pacific time sharp." The review period runs September through November 2026, with award announcements expected in November 2026, pre-project consultations November 2026January 2027, and project terms set to begin in March 2027; CDFA cautioned dates are subject to change.

Attachments and application requirements: The RGA lists 11 attachments (8 required, 3 optional). Required items include the new application summary form, a project description (Attachment A), site plans and design schematics (A1) with maps showing pipelines, pumps, pits and dimensions, an FSA form (A2), a work plan (B), a nitrogen and salt management template (C), a budget worksheet (D), and an estimated greenhouse-gas reduction using the benefits calculator (E). Franco emphasized that project designs should be final at submission because the USDA CPA 52 environmental evaluation will rely on the submitted plans.

GHG quantification and scoring: The CARB-developed benefits calculator is the required tool to estimate metric tons CO2-equivalent reductions for AMP and DDRDP projects; applicants must select the calculator variant appropriate to their project and document assumptions (optional Attachment E1) and any reductions beyond baseline practices (optional E2). Franco said technical reviewers will do most of the scoring: "About 45% of the points are assigned by our technical advisory committee," with only a small portion (five out of 50 points) scored by CDFA for calculator accuracy.

Payments and compliance: Awards are paid on a reimbursement basis; Franco advised applicants to budget for a reimbursement timeline of roughly 90 days from invoice submission to payment. Because the program uses federal funds, recipients will be subject to federal terms, must maintain FSA farm records, may be required to participate in on-farm measurement activities with UC Davis if selected, and must operate, maintain, and report annually to CDFA for at least five years after project completion.

Application system and practical tips: Alyssa Louie, senior environmental scientist leading CDFAalternative manure management work, demonstrated the GOATS portal and recommended preparing attachments outside the portal and pasting or uploading them into GOATS to avoid errors. Louie also warned that saving within a section only records that section's save action and that applicants should confirm uploads and use clear file names. She noted FEIN and SSN fields are not required for account creation.

Changes from prior rounds: This round explicitly accepts AMP- and DDRDP-like practices and no longer requires matching funds, though matching remains encouraged. CDFA widened acceptable solid-liquid separation technologies to include flocculant- and bead-filter-assisted systems (settling basins remain ineligible), increased the per-unit equipment threshold used in capital cost rules from $5,000 to $10,000, shortened the CEQA/permit demonstration time to six months for showing project progress, and maintained a 12-month completion expectation with a possible USDA-approved 12-month extension.

Resources and next steps: CDFA will post the RGA, FAQs, a portal guidance document, and batches of Q&A during the solicitation; applicants may consult California Dairy Research Foundation resources for additional technical assistance but CDFA staff said they cannot assist with the preparation of specific applications. Louie and Franco said slides and a recording would be shared after the webinar.

What attendees were told to do next: read the request for grant applications carefully, prepare finalized project designs and attachments in advance, register with FSA if needed, and start the GOATS account early to avoid last-minute issues before the Sept. 14 deadline.