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The Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) is one of two programs designed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions. The program will provide $9-16 million dollars in grants to California dairy and livestock operators to implement non-digester manure management practices that reduce their methane emissions.

Funding Levels: Up to $750,000 per project

Eligibility:

• The project site must be located on a commercial California dairy or livestock operation.
• The current baseline manure management practices must include the anaerobic decomposition of volatile solids stored in a lagoon or other predominantly liquid anaerobic environment.
• Each AMMP project requesting Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) funding must include at least one of the following project components that reduce baseline methane emissions:

1. Pasture-based management including (i) conversion of a non-pasture livestock operation to pasture-based management; (ii) increasing the amount of time livestock spend at pasture at an existing pasture operation; and/or (iii) construction of a compost bedded pack barn. Note: All pasture-based management projects must currently manage/store some manure in anaerobic conditions and introduce new practices that reduce the quantity of manure managed under such conditions.
2. Solid separation of manure solids prior to entry into a wet/anaerobic environment (e.g. lagoon, settling pond, settling basin) at a livestock operation in conjunction with one of the following practices (a) through (i):

• a. Open solar drying of manure (manure is dried in a paved or unpaved open confinement area without any significant vegetative cover where accumulating manure may be removed periodically);
• b. Closed solar drying (drying of manure in enclosed environment);
• c. Forced evaporation with natural-gas fueled dryers;
• d. Daily spread (manure is routinely removed from a confinement facility and is applied to cropland or pasture within 24 hours of excretion);
• e. Solid Storage (storage of manure, typically for a period of several months, in unconfined piles or stacks);
• f. Composting in vessel (composting in an enclosed vessel, with forced aeration and continuous mixing);
• g. Composting in aerated static pile (composting in piles with forced aeration but no mixing);
• h. Composting in intensive windrows (with regular turning for mixing and aeration);
• i. Composting in passive windrows (with infrequent turning for mixing and aeration).
• Note: Either the installation of a new solid separation system at a livestock operation that does not currently employ solid separation, or the installation of a new solid separation system with significantly higher separation efficiency than the existing solid separation technology may be eligible.

3. Conversion from a flush to scrape manure collection system in conjunction with one of the practices (a) through (i) in the list above.

Duration: The maximum project term is two years and grant funds cannot be expended before February 1, 2018 or after January 31, 2020.

Match: CDFA will fund up to 100% of the total project costs with a maximum grant award not to exceed $750,000 per project. Matching funds are not a requirement of the AMMP. However, matching funds are encouraged and may serve as evidence to demonstrate industry commitment to, or support for, the project. Grant recipients must report matching funds contributed to the project and ability to commence work while waiting for grant payments in arrears.

The awards are expected to be announced in January 2018.

The full Request for Grant Applications can be found here.

For more information on this grant or how to apply with Morrison's assistance, please contact the Morrison Grants Team by email at grants@morrisonco.net or call us at 530.893.4764.