MADISON, WIS. – The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA) announced 26 dairy companies and cooperatives from 11 states were chosen to receive Dairy Business Builder grants totaling $2.3 million.

The DBIA grant program looks to encourage small- to medium-sized dairy farmers, entrepreneurs and processors to pursue innovative projects. DBIA, a partnership between the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) and the Center for Dairy Research (CDR), shared that reimbursement grants for as much as $100,000 each are awarded following a competitive review process.

DBIA selected the following companies and cooperatives to receive Dairy Business Builder grants:

• Beauty View Dairy Products – Wahoo, Neb.

• Berning Acres – East Dubuque, Ill.

• BoBell Cheese Company – Burbank, Ohio

• Brunkow Cheese of Wisconsin – Darlington, Wis.

• Concept Processing – Melrose, Minn.

• Dairy Distillery Alliance – Novi, Mich.

• DARI – Clinton, Wis.

• Eau Galle Cheese Factory – Durand, Wis.

• Farm Life Creamery – Ethan, SD

• Farm Stapels – Cedar Grove, Wis.

• Hastings Creamery – Hastings, Minn.

• Hildebrand Farms Dairy – Junction City, Kan.

• Hill Valley Dairy – East Troy, Wis.

• Landmark Creamery – Belleville, Wis.

• Marieke Gouda – Thorp, Wis.

• Rolling Hills Dairy Producers Co-op – Monroe, Wis.

• Rosewood Dairy – Sturgeon Bay, Wis.

• Royal Guernsey Creamery – Columbus, Wis.

• Sartori Cheese – Plymouth, Wis.

• Schulte Dairy – Norway, Iowa

• SCREAM – Fairfield, Iowa

• Terrell Creek Farm – Fordland, Mo.

• Tulip Tree Creamery – Indianapolis

• Two Cows Creamery – Hot Springs, SD

• Uplands Cheese – Dodgeville, Wis.

• Widmer's Cheese Cellars – Theresa, Wis.

“These grants have become an important factor in helping support the growth of our dairy businesses in our region as they continue to innovate by creating new products or expanding their markets,” said John Lucey, CDR’s director.

Per DBIA, 18 of the 26 businesses were selected to receive a DBIA grant for the first time and 12 are farmsteads.

“This group of projects showcases the innovative spirit and drive of our dairy industry,” said WCMA executive director John Umhoefer. “We’re pleased to help these businesses and the industry as a whole continue to grow and thrive.”

Funding from the US Department of Agriculture supports the DBIA, which is one of four Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives in place in the United States. The nationwide program was created in 2018 as part of the Farm Bill. Since it was established, DBIA has administered more than $9.4 million in grants to 103 dairy businesses in its 11-state service area: Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.