The USDA announced that $1.5 million in grant funding is
available for the Dairy Business Innovation projects to support Wisconsin dairy
farmers and cheesemakers working to grow their business and reach new product
markets.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who helped secure the funds in the
recently passed Farm Bill, says the goal is to support dairy product innovation
and address the oversupply of milk by providing resources to help cheesemakers
and other dairy businesses get their start, develop new products and expand
markets.
"Wisconsin's dairy businesses are a key driver of our
state's economy, but recently our dairy farmers have faced very challenging
times with an oversupply of milk and low milk prices," Baldwin said.
"It's critical that farmers, cheesemakers and dairy processors have tools
to innovate and develop new Made in Wisconsin dairy products to build a
brighter future for our dairy farms and drive our rural economy forward."
The DBI Initiatives will provide direct technical assistance
and make grants available to dairy businesses. Projects must be positioned to
draw on existing dairy industry resources, including dairy farm density and farmland
suitability for dairying, as well as activities conducted by dairy promotion
and research programs, research organizations, dairy businesses, or academic
and industry stakeholders.