U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, announced today that the University of Connecticut will receive $404,966 to study the economic and environmental sustainability of small- and medium-sized dairy farms in New England.

Courtney is founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Dairy Farmers Caucus.

“We have 152 small- to medium-sized dairy farms dotting the Connecticut landscape, but that is a far cry from the hundreds that once operated in our state,” Courtney said in press release.  “I am pleased to have the opportunity to announce this grant, which will help to better understand the challenges and disadvantages facing by our state’s dairies.”

Courtney said the UConn College of Agricultural and Natural Resources has a rich history of fostering local agriculture in the state and this project is another example of its commitment to the future of farming in Connecticut.

The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).  

AFRI was created in the 2008 Farm Bill and is a new competitive grant program to provide funding for fundamental and applied research, extension, and education to address food and agriculture sciences

Courtney recently announced that dairy farms throughout Connecticut would receive approximately $1 million in direct federal aid following a devastating economic year during which dairy prices realized historic lows.