Eighteen of the 26 businesses are receiving a DBIA grant for the first time, and 12 are farmsteads.  

Businesses in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin may apply for the funding, which is administered by the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) and the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA).

On Nov. 11, the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA), Madison, Wis., applauded USDA’s announcement of $20.2 million in support for the Dairy Business Innovation Initiative, including $6.13 million for a program administered by WCMA and the Center for Dairy Research (CDR).

USDA announced that the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) were awarded $6.13 million to support continuation of the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), serving Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.