At Turner Dairy, we take pride in being innovative in both products and processing. Most recently, we received an Expansion Grant from the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center. The grant serves to expand dairy processing capacity by funding 35 businesses in the Northeast region. At Turner’s, we partner exclusively with local, family dairy farms and are committed to creating high quality products with the freshest ingredients possible.
After a rigorous application process, we were awarded a Tier 1 grant for funding up to $1 million. Ultimately, each submission was reviewed by a minimum of three dairy sector experts from across the Northeast. We’re honored to be awarded approximately $850,000 in grant funding. Along with a 25% funding match, the total project will exceed well over $1 million in plant expansion.
Our behind the scenes processing innovation allows us to create new products like Limited Edition Flavors such as Brownie Batter and Chocolate Caramel Milks, Lactose Free Milk, and Cold Brew Lattes in collaboration with Coffee Tree Roasters. Arguably, stainless steel pipes and pumps aren’t as exciting to talk about, but these projects enable the creation of entirely new, one-of-a-kind products.
The first phase of our development plan entails a new Clean-In-Place (CIP) system to increase efficiency and improve sustainability in processing raw materials. When the new CIP system is complete, our water consumption will be reduced by at least 500,000 gallons a month. The system has three main cycles: rinse, wash, and sanitize. Water from the wash and sanitize cycles will be re-used in a later rinse cycle; recycling water, energy, and cleaning chemicals. We expect to complete the project in 2024.
The upgrade of Turner’s CIP system will physically position us to make the next major processing and packaging expansion in the future. Part of the grant process is taking what we learned and relaying that information back with the Dairy industry through the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center. We plan to share the benefits of a new CIP system and the sustainability initiatives it can achieve. All in all, this entire process is intended to help ensure the economic and environmental sustainability of local farms in the Northeast region.
Link to NDBIC Article: https://nedairyinnovation.com/processor-expansion-awards/
