As part of legislative action by the Virginia General Assembly, funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, were appropriated to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and consumer Services (VDACS) to assist Virginia Grade A dairies. The General Assembly approved $2 million for VDACS to establish a program to provide direct financial assistance to Grade A dairies that experience financial losses in the spring of 2020, compared with the same period in 2019.

All Virginia Grade A dairies that were in operation in the spring of 2020 are eligible to apply by completing the form similar to the sample form below. The completed form should be specific to your farm and contain a calculation demonstrating the estimated financial losses and the calculated direct payment for which you are applying.  Please note that the maximum possible payment per farm will not exceed $5,500, and final payment amounts will not be determined until after the May 1, 2023, application deadline. Farms whose calculated dairy margin coverage payments are less than the maximum VDACS payment will receive the calculated dairy margin coverage estimated amount.

For more information, please contact the Milk Commission at 804-786-2013 or milk@vdacs.virginia.gov. You may be asked to submit documentation to support your claim. Signed applications and signed and completed COV Substitute W-9 forms should be mailed to the address below and postmarked no later than MAY 1, 2023. Failure to include both documents could exclude the farm from participation in the program.