Business Planning Assistance Program (BPAP)

Grants for Dairy Producers

The Business Planning Assistance Program (BPAP) is a grant-funded program designed to encourage dairy producers to develop and follow business plans for their farms. This program began in January 1999 and has since paid out over $135,000 to more than 100 dairy farm businesses.

The Pennsylvania Dairy Stakeholders recognize what a business plan means to a dairy farm business: it provides a measurement tool for operators. Without knowing where they stand, it is impossible for dairy farm businesses to know how to progress or which direction to take.

The parameters of the program allow payments of 75%, up to $1,500, to dairy farm businesses to help defray the cost of having a business plan developed by a professional business consultant. The funding may also be used to help cover the cost of having a feasibility study done by a consultant. Grant monies may not be used for services other than business-related, such as nutrition work, nutrient management programs, or custom crop work.

Dairy farm businesses interested in the Business Planning Assistance Program must contact N. Alan Bair, the program administrator, to discuss interest in the program. After this initial discussion, an application must be submitted and approved before the consultant work is begun.

Once the business planning project is completed, the program administrator reviews copies of the final project and the invoice, and the dairy farm business is reimbursed for 75% of the cost of the project up to $1,500. Grant funding for this program is provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the Appalachian Regional Commission. Additional support for BPAP comes from the Pennsylvania State University.

Note: We currently do not have funding for new planning projects under BPAP, but all existing contracts will be honored. We do encourage dairy producers to contact us regarding business planning to discuss alternative funding opportunities.