Department Announces South Mountain Creamery in Frederick County as Recipient of Animal Waste Technology Grant

ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 22, 2024) – The Maryland Department of Agriculture has awarded a $505,744 Animal Waste Technology Grant to South Mountain Creamery in Frederick County. This grant will enhance the farm’s manure management system for its 500 dairy cows. The award is part of the state’s ongoing commitment to managing animal manure, protecting natural resources, and pursuing clean, renewable energy sources.

“This project received a unanimous recommendation from members of the Animal Waste Technical Evaluation Committee and Animal Waste Advisory Committee,” said Maryland Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks. “Supporting innovative technologies that help farmers manage manure in new and sustainable ways is a top priority for the Moore-Miller Administration.”

South Mountain Creamery will utilize the grant funds to install two projects. The first project will equip the farm’s liquid manure lagoon with a protective cover and flare system. This will capture and safely burn off greenhouse gas emissions. The second project involves installing an advanced manure separation system to prevent solids and sand from entering the lagoon. These particles will be collected, treated, and packaged for sale off-farm. This will generate additional farm revenue while also addressing nutrient management concerns. In addition to the Animal Waste Technology Grant, South Mountain Creamery will receive a match of approximately $200,000 from the Conservation Innovation Fund and $350,000 from Nutrient Control Systems for additional treatment of the separated solids. 

Key environmental and climate benefits include:

• Reduced nitrogen and phosphorus inputs to cropland by 35% and 16%, respectively.

• Estimated decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by 8,500 tons per year.

• Option to transition to anaerobic digestion. The transition would allow the farm to capture and compress the biogas as a renewable natural gas to fuel a delivery fleet.  

South Mountain Creamery produces milk, eggs, beef, and dairy products that are delivered to more than 20,000 homes in the Mid-Atlantic region. South Mountain Creamery, owned and operated by the Sowers family, is constantly working to reduce its environmental footprint while meeting customer expectations. 

The department requested Animal Waste Technology Fund proposals in September 2023 and received three proposals. The technical review subcommittee evaluated each project and invited two projects to submit full proposals. The South Mountain Creamery project received unanimous support from the Advisory Committee for FY 2024 funding, which will be leveraged against multiple sources. 

The Animal Waste Technology Fund provides seed funding to companies that demonstrate innovative technologies on farms and alternative strategies for managing animal manure. These technologies may generate energy from animal manure, reduce on-farm waste streams, or repurpose manure by creating marketable fertilizer products. Program funding is provided by the Maryland Energy Administration and the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund. For more information about the grant program, please visit the department’s website.

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