By Grace Atherton
The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA) is driving innovation, business growth, resilience, and workforce development in the Midwest dairy industry, according to the results of a new survey.
Alliance partners Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association and the Center for Dairy Research conducted a survey targeting 212 DBIA-funded projects across the Alliance’s 11-state service region, seeking feedback on the impact of the Dairy Business Builder and Dairy Industry Impact grant programs. Grants of up to $100,000 each are awarded twice each year to dairy farmers and processors for projects that diversify on-farm activity, create value-added products, enhance dairy by-products, boost dairy exports, improve sustainability practices, and more.
“This data proves what we – and hundreds of DBIA grant recipients – have already seen: the Alliance’s targeted investments generate sustainable, meaningful success for individual dairy businesses, their rural communities, and the broader industry,” said WCMA Executive Director John Umhoefer.