MADISON – Midwestern dairy farmers, manufacturers, and processors can visit cdr.wisc.edu/dbia-grant-program-1 now to register for a September 20 webinar focused on preparing competitive applications for the Dairy Business Builder grant program administered by the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), an initiative run by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) and the Center for Dairy Research (CDR). The free webinar, scheduled for 12:00 p.m. (CT), is open to dairy entrepreneurs in the DBIA’s newly expanded 11-state region: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Kansas, and Wisconsin.
The next round of Dairy Business Builder grants opens on September 19, when application materials will become available at cdr.wisc.edu/dbia. Completed applications will be due November 10 by 5:00 p.m. (CT). Reimbursement grants of up to $100,000 each will be awarded through a competitive review process. Eligible projects include dairy farm diversification and on-farm processing, the creation of value-added dairy products, and efforts to market dairy products for export.
“These grants offer meaningful, targeted support for dairy farmers and processors to pursue creative new ideas and grow their businesses. If you’re looking for useful tips to submit your best application, you won’t want to miss this webinar,” said WCMA Executive Director John Umhoefer.
“This practical, no-cost webinar is a valuable tool to help dairy businesses with crafting stronger proposals for this important grant program,” said CDR Director John Lucey.
The DBIA is supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and was created in the 2018 federal Farm Bill. Since then, the DBIA has offered technical assistance and administered over $3.7 million in 79 grants across two programs to dairy farmers and processors in participating states.
