Biden’s Act Boosts PA Yogurt Business; GOP May Cut Funding
TL/DR –
Hayley and Stephanie Painter, co-founders of Painterland Sisters, have used provisions from the Inflation Reduction Act in the Farm Bill to expand their dairy farm and Icelandic yogurt business. However, US House Republicans have removed $20 billion for climate-smart initiatives from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the Farm Bill, reallocating it to conservation programs and putting the climate measures at risk. The Painters’ farm participates in a $4.7 million program that implements climate-smart grazing practices, with funding from the USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Technologies grant program, which was created under the Inflation Reduction Act.
The Inflation Reduction Act’s Impact on Pennsylvania Dairy Farmers
The Inflation Reduction Act funding that helped Northern Pennsylvania sisters,
Hayley and Stephanie Painter, expand their dairy farm and Icelandic yogurt business is now at risk due to a Republican-controlled US House.
Potential Loss of Climate-Smart Funding for Agriculture
US House Republicans have removed $20 billion in climate-smart funding from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the annual Farm Bill. This move has put conservation programs and climate initiatives at risk.
The Painterland Sisters’ Dairy Farming and Icelandic Yogurt Business
The Painter sisters operate a fourth-generation dairy farm in Tioga County and produce
Painterland Sisters organic skyr yogurt, an Icelandic-style yogurt, at a dairy facility outside of Carlise. This yogurt can be
found in supermarkets across the country.
Connecting Consumers to Farmers
“We founded Painterland Sisters to connect consumers to farmers and stabilize our farm and others for future generations,” says Hayley Painter.
The Role of Organic Dairy Farming in Climate Change
The Painter’s farm is part of a $4.7 million Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship (DGA) program that studies how organic dairy farming can help reduce harmful greenhouse gases.
Improving the Environment through Climate-Smart Grazing Practices
The DGA will give technical assistance and $900,000 in direct payments to small-scale dairy farmers to implement climate-smart grazing practices. Funding for the program comes from the USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Technologies grant program, established under
the Inflation Reduction Act. The program aims to support over 180,000 farmers in the next five years.
Empowering Farmers as Climate Leaders
“Farmers are the stewards of the land. By empowering them through opportunities like Climate-Smart grants and Farm Bill infrastructure and marketing grants, we’re changing the narrative and empowering the farmers instead of just seeing them as tools to provide food and fuel,” says Hayley Painter.
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