Dairy Business Innovation Alliance

A new round of Dairy Business Builder grants administered by the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA) opened on February 20, 2023 for small- to medium-sized dairy farmers, manufacturers, and processors in 11 Midwestern states. Businesses in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin may apply for the funding. The reimbursement grants of up to $100,000 each aim to support recipients in diversifying on-farm activity, creating value-added products, enhancing dairy byproducts, and creating or enhancing dairy export programs. Application materials for the Dairy Business Builder grants are available online at cdr.wisc.edu/dbia. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. (CT) on April 13. Successful applicants will be notified by May 19.

News

DBIA Awards More than $3.5M in Grants to Midwest Dairy Processors, Including Three from Iowa

Cinnamon Ridge Inc: Cinnamon Ridge, an Iowa farmstead and creamery, is improving its cheese production by acquiring new equipment and upgrading storage facilities. The project focuses on improving efficiency, quality, and sanitation to meet customer expectations and drive sales growth.

Hightail: Hightail is upgrading equipment to increase cheese curd production and meet high demand. The project includes purchasing multiple pieces of equipment to improve efficiency and product quality at their Iowa facility.

Lost Lake Farm LLC: Lost Lake Farm is diversifying into artisan grass-fed butter production to increase sales and meet customer demand. The project includes purchasing equipment and hiring a production apprentice to support growth in Iowa.

DBIA Updates

Learn About Cave Aging

Join us on Wednesday, January 14th at 1pm for a webinar on cave aging cheese led by Ben Ullerup Mathers, the Lead for Specialty Cheese at the Center for Dairy Research. The webinar will explore common ripening room configurations and challenges for cave-aged cheeses, as well as basic ripening room troubleshooting. Read more about Ben and we hope to see you there!

Grant Awards Announced and Next Cycle Opening February 23

Earlier this month DBIA announced 42 grants totaling approximately $4.6 million for small and medium-sized dairy businesses across the Midwest. The full list of awardees can be found here and full program descriptions are available on our website.

The next Dairy Business Builder grant cycle will open on Monday, February 23 and will remain open until Wednesday, April 22. An informational webinar hosted by DBIA staff will be held in late April (exact date and time TBD). Watch our website for more information.

Market Intelligence

DBIA is excited to share the results of additional market intelligence related to Specialty Cheese Consumption.

You can find the full report and introductory video on the webpage here.

The report features consumer data from across the U.S., personas to help understand cheese consumption, and opportunities to increase specialty cheese purchases!

If you are interested in discussing the results with DBIA staff, please reach out!