News

Wisconsin awards 2023 dairy processor grants

Wisconsin has named 21 new Dairy Processor Grant Program recipients for this year. 

Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection officials received 38 grant requests totaling more than $1.5 million, and 21 grants were made with the 400-thousand dollars in available funding.  The grants were funded in the state budget allowing up to 50-thousand dollars each with a 20% matching fund requirement to update and modernize their operations.

Projects range from equipment investments and expansion to new packaging and waste reduction technologies.

Governor Tony Evers has proposed increasing funding for the grant program, but it’s unclear if the Legislature will put that in the new state budget. 

Applications always exceed available funding for the Dairy Processor Grant program.  Since 2014, DATCP has received 199 dairy processor grant proposals requesting more than $7 million. DATCP has funded 106 of those proposals, totaling $2 million.

The Dairy Processor Grant recipients and their planned projects are:

Cedar Grove Cheese, Plain
Invest in a tanker activity tracker system.

Chalet Cheese Cooperative, Monroe
Create a marketing development plan.

Eau Galle Cheese Factory LLC, Durand
Invest in a wastewater treatment plant.

Family Dairies USA, Madison
Conduct a feasibility study for the ownership of a conversion facility.

Harmony Cheese LLC, Stratford
Make processing improvements.

Klondike Cheese Co., Monroe
Invest in cybersecurity for cheese plants.

Landmark Creamery LLC, Paoli
Invest in expansion and modernization.

Marieke House of Gouda LLC, Eau Claire
Invest and model for distance retail and remote sales.

Nasonville Dairy Inc., Marshfield
Facilitate expansion and audit assistance.

Roelli Cheese Co. Inc., Shullsburg
Invest in cheesemaker training and expansion.

Rosewood Dairy, Sturgeon Bay
Fund installation of a wastewater tank.

Terry Woods LTD, Walworth
Purchase comprehensive responsive software package.

Safety Fresh Foods LLC, Plymouth
Invest in waste reduction and innovation.

Scoops Ice Cream, Chilton
Invest in expansion and modernization.

Uplands Cheese, Dodgeville
Develop new cheese plant engineering.

V&V Supremo, Browntown
Invest in a plant modernization project.

Weber’s Farm Store, Marshfield
Invest in flavor labels and expansion.

Westby Cooperative Creamery, Westby
Develop packaging redesign.

Widmer’s Cheese Cellars Inc., Theresa
Invest in plant modernization.

Winona Foods, Inc., Green Bay
Invest in a leak detection system.

Wisconsin Whey Protein, Turtle Lake
Complete dryer modification project at Turtle Lake plant.