Midwest Dairy Innovation: $2.9 Million Grant Fuels Growth
The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), a partnership between the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) and the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA), has announced a significant distribution of $2.9 million in Dairy Business Builder grants. This initiative supports 28 small and medium-sized dairy businesses across an 11-state Midwestern region, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
The grants are intended to nurture agricultural innovation, with more than half of the recipients being farmstead businesses. Notably, 64% of these businesses are receiving capital from the program for the first time. John Umhoefer, Executive Director of WCMA, stated that the alliance aims to cultivate new pioneers and strengthen local dairy processing businesses. CDR Director John Lucey highlighted the program's popularity, as shown by the large number of applications from new enterprises seeking market sustainability.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Dairy Business Builder initiative focuses on projects that diversify farm activities, develop value-added products, optimize by-products, and expand export channels. The funding will support various technical and operational advancements, including specialty proteins and goat and sheep milk processing.
For example, Milkhaus Dairy in Wisconsin will conduct a feasibility study for commercial opportunities related to its A2 protein cheeses, while Sanilac Creamery in Michigan plans to implement an ultrafiltration membrane system for better quark and cream cheese production. Automation is also a key focus, with Iowa's Cinnamon Ridge farmstead upgrading its labeling lines, and Wisconsin's Ron's Wisconsin Cheese deploying automated packaging systems.
Traditional processing upgrades are prevalent, with Lamers Dairy in Wisconsin acquiring a high-capacity separator to double its milk processing, and Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery integrating advanced milk standardization equipment. Additionally, businesses like Ohio's Country Creamery Farm and Kansas-based Flint Hills Pints are enhancing their frozen treat production capabilities.
The financial support is set to boost local economic growth by establishing new manufacturing setups, such as Imporium Creamery's container-based small-vat system in Indiana. Since its inception, the DBIA has provided over $26 million in 329 grants, helping modernize infrastructure and expand product ranges to enhance the Midwestern dairy industry's market competitiveness.
