BRODHEAD, WIS. – US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt on June 25 visited Decatur Dairy, where the USDA used the small cheese company as a backdrop for its announcement that $12 million in new grant funds will be available.

The federal funding will support dairy processing capacity expansion, on-farm improvements and technical assistance services through Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives (DBII). 

Moffitt explained how important the initiatives are and how they impact the US dairy industry.

“The Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives utilize a unique approach of providing both technical assistance and subawards to small and mid-sized dairy businesses,” she said. “Through this, the businesses are able to diversify markets and income, develop higher value uses for their milk products, and achieve higher returns.”

Located south of Madison, Wis., Decatur Dairy is a member of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA). A cheesemaker and manager for Decatur Dairy, Steve Stettler currently serves on WCMA’s board of directors and is a former board president. 

In 2022, the small cheese company earned a Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA) grant to support the expansion of its cheese plant and strengthen the local market for milk.

While announcing the new grant funds, USDA noted the money will be awarded noncompetitively to the country’s four dairy innovation centers, at the University of Wisconsin, California State University Fresno, University of Tennessee, and Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets.

WCMA, which runs DBIA with the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Dairy Research (CDR), celebrated the announcement. WCMA executive director John Umhoefer said the trade association appreciates USDA’s continued support. 

“The DBIA is delivering real successes – and more than $16 million in grants so far – to dairy businesses across the Midwest,” Umhoefer said.

With the latest funding, WCMA noted that DBIA will be eligible for approximately $3 million to support product research and development, technical assistance, education, and grants to dairy businesses. DBIA’s 11-state service area covers dairy companies in Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. 

Per USDA, DBII and their various programs also support business plan development, marketing and branding, provide technical assistance, and help dairy businesses with innovative production and processing techniques to create value-added products.

Since the introduction of DBII in 2019, USDA added, 600 dairy businesses across 40 states have received a combined $64 million in grant funding for development, marketing, distribution and production.