A recent grant in the millions will ensure Tillamook County Creamery Association is able to drive locally led conservation efforts and help other producers do the same. Through the USDA’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program, the co-op recently received a $4 million grant to fund the Oregon Dairy Climate and Water Quality Partnership project.
“Our climate action plan requires just that—action. With this grant, we’ll be able to help our farmer-owners implement projects on their farms to improve water quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Jocelyn Bridson, Director of Environment and Community Impact at Tillamook County Creamery Association. “Environmental projects like these will help us make progress toward our climate action goal to reduce emissions 30 percent by 2030.”
The RCPP grant spans five years and will include over a dozen TCCA member farms on projects to improve water quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to the team, the funds will be used to assist dairy producers in Clatsop and Tillamook counties in Oregon toward projects like targeting implementation of high-outcome NRCS practice standards to improve water quality and reduce methane emissions, as well as driving producer adoption of these practices through locally-led conservation efforts.
The project leverages partnerships, collaborating closely with local stakeholders such as TCCA and the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership. Likewise, local grocery chain New Seasons Market is partnering on this grant to expand on its carbon insetting partnership.
With a wide-reaching plan to overcome key challenges hindering water quality management, such as limited technical assistance, information gaps, and more, this looks to be the catalyst for a wide-reaching movement for Tillamook and its partners. As these steps begin to take place, Deli Market News will share the latest.
