California Alternative Manure Management Practices Program (AMMP)

The California Department of Food and Agriculture's Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) awards competitive grants to California dairy and livestock operations for the implementation of non-digester manure management practices and technologies that result in long-term methane emission reductions and maximize environmental benefits.

Alternative manure management practices involve handling manure in ways that don't involve using an anaerobic digester. Currently, eligible practices for funding through AMMP include: pasture-based management; alternative manure treatment and storage (such as compost bedded pack barns); and solid separation or conversion from flush to scrape in conjunction with some form of drying or composting of collected manure.

California farmers, ranchers, and California Native American Tribes are eligible to apply. Individuals and business entities receiving grant award funds must be located in California with a physical California business address.

The project site must be located on a commercial California dairy or livestock operation.

• A dairy operation is defined as an entity that operates a dairy herd, which produces milk or cream commercially, and whose bulk milk or bulk cream is received or handled by any distributor, manufacturer, or any nonprofit cooperative association of dairy producers.

• A livestock operation is defined as an entity raising farm animals such as cattle, poultry, goats, sheep, swine and horses.

Generous grant — CDFA can cover the whole project — but no round is currently open.

• Award ceiling and rate: "CDFA will fund up to 100% of the total project cost with a maximum grant award of $750,000 per project. Matching funds are strongly encouraged."

• Match is optional, not required: "Cost share, including matching funds and in-kind contributions, is not required; however, cost share is encouraged and may serve as evidence to demonstrate industry commitment to, or support for, the project." Other state or federal grants can count as match, but Dairy Plus Program funds cannot.

• Project term: "The maximum project term is thirty (30) months."

• Paid in arrears: the guidelines expect grantees to report "ability to commence work while waiting for grant payments in arrears" — plan working capital accordingly.

• "CDFA may offer an award different than the amount requested."

• Round pool for reference: "Approximately $17.4 million will be available for the 2024 AMMP, which includes an allocation for technical assistance grants under AB 2377."

• Free technical assistance: "One-on-one technical assistance is available and free to dairy and livestock operators interested in applying for the AMMP and to assist grant awardees with project implementation."

• Awardees may also be eligible for additional funding through the Dairy Plus Program.

Status: "The 2024 AMMP solicitation is closed. Applications were accepted from July 23 to October 18, 2024." That round drew 70 applications requesting $50.7 million; 25 projects were awarded in April 2025 totaling $17.42 million, plus 5 more in December 2025 after SB 105. No 2026 solicitation has opened, so treat the terms above as the last published round's terms.

Read the Request For Applications carefully to confirm your eligibility and assemble the necessary materials, then apply online at CDFA's grant portal.

• 2023 Request For Applications

• CDFA AMMP Project Planning Tool

• GHG Calculator

• List of Practices Incentivized by the AMMP