Grants will help make Berks dairy greener

Two grants will provide more than $123,000 to help a Berks County dairy make its operations more efficient and more environmentally responsible.

The funding, awarded by the Department of Community and Economic Development and the Department

of Agriculture, will allow for research and development, organic transition, value-added processing, and marketing, according to an announcement from state Sen. Bob Mensch, R-24th Dist.

Woods Beach LLC, doing business as Wholesome Dairy Farm, is located in Earl Township and will be receiving a total of $123,884 through the PA Dairy Investment Program.

Woods Beach LLC will receive $73,884 to help develop a milk protein and plant fiber-based packaging composite material that will be able to replace plastic as a dairy foods packaging material.

The material will be renewable and biodegradable while serving as a safe and effective replacement.

Woods Beach will also receive an additional $50,000 to construct a storage building and milk safety laboratory adjacent to their existing valueadded processing facility.

This building will allow the dairy to purchase processing supplies in larger quantities and produce their foods in a more costefficient manner. The laboratory space will allow the applicant to conduct on-site food safety testing required by law.

“It is great to see a local farm receive funding that will allow for significant changes in production and sustainability,” Mensch said in a press release. “The grants to the Wholesome Dairy Farm are a vital way to promote local businesses as well as our local economy.”

Wholesome Dairy Farm has produced yogurt, Greek yogurt, and kefir in small batches for approximately seven years using milk from its own dairy herd.

The funding was provided through the Dairy Investment Program, which is administered under the direction of the Commonwealth Financing Authority.