The FARM'N Project
The Funding for Agricultural Reductions in Mass Balance of Nitrogen project will compensate Virginia dairy farmers for reducing nutrient loss through improved nutrient mass balance management. It is a farm-specific, flexible approach focused on measurable and verifiable nutrient reductions. You get paid for actual improvements in nutrient balance (in pounds per year), not for adopting a specific practice. Any VSDA members in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are eligible to apply.
The program is administered by the Virginia State Dairymen’s Association (VSDA) with scientific and technical support from Virginia Tech (VT).
The FARM'N project seeks to reduce surplus nutrients. Surplus nutrients are brought to the farm but not exported as products. These excess nutrients can be stored in the soil, lost to the atmosphere, or lost to runoff. Managing for low nutrient surplus can help save money and improve financial viability.
When you participate in the FARM'N project, you get paid for verifiable reductions in farm-level nitrogen surplus.
The FARM'N project will track farm-level nitrogen mass balance. For every pound of creditable surplus nitrogen reduced, the project will pay you $25. Surplus nitrogen is calculated as the difference between nitrogen imported to the farm (in feed, fertilizer, bedding, etc.) and nitrogen exported (in milk, cull cows, crop sales, etc.). The state values nitrogen reductions in some region more highly than others, so the creditable reductions will vary based on where your farm is located.
Not sure how much you can reduce your surplus nitrogen? That's okay! You can check out an example calculation for a 300 acre, 100 cow dairy on our Examples page. Activities to reduce surplus nitrogen include things like increasing milk protein yield, reducing excess fertilizer application, making more effective use of manure, improving feed efficiency, or enhancing cow longevity. These aren't the only practices that can influence surplus nitrogen, just an example of some management targets you could focus on.
Interested in applying to the pilot-testing phase of the FARM'N Project or interested in learning more about the program? Click the links below!