The U.S. House Appropriations Committee has approved a $2 million Community Project Funding grant for the University of Idaho’s Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (CAFE), which will include the nation’s largest research dairy.

Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, requested the grant in the Fiscal Year 2025 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration Appropriations Act.

The funding would be used to complete a flexible manure handling and testing system as part of the CAFE site on 640 acres north of Rupert, about 60 miles northeast of Twin Falls.

“Securing funding for this world-class research center is crucial for promoting long-term sustainability in Idaho’s agriculture industry,” Simpson said in a press release.

Manure management

Previous awards have improved research facilities at the USDA’s Agriculture Research Service at Kimberly, Idaho, and supported the base manure handling system at CAFE.

The new funding would create research effluent ponds for long-term evaluation of pond lining systems, allow testing of products that reduce emissions from ponds and provide critical research enhancements to the base manure handling system through expansion of separation capacity.

It would also add a laboratory at CAFE to support soil and emissions research and provide equipment to transport manure, its byproducts and liquid for agronomic testing.

“Congressman Simpson has been a tireless advocate for Idaho agriculture and, in particular, advancing our state’s dairy industry,” said Michael P. Parrella, Dean of the University of Idaho College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

“We are thankful for his support of Idaho CAFE and his work to secure critical resources that bolster our collaborative work with USDA-ARS fostering sustainability, innovation in environmental stewardship and economic growth through pioneering research,” he said.

The University plans to start milking cows at the $45 million CAFE early next year.