Contact: Matt Lange 608-224-5081
MADISON – Gov. Jim Doyle today praised Wisconsin dairy entrepreneurs and agriculture business leaders receiving the first round of this year’s Value Added Dairy Initiative Dairy Processor grants.
“Wisconsin continues its leadership in dairy and a part of our success is looking for value added economic opportunities,” Gov. Doyle said. “This grant program is an important step for these businesses toward growing the Wisconsin economy.”
Ten grant proposals were received, totaling more than $332,000, four were funded. They are:
Edelweiss Graziers Cooperative, Monticello: $25,000
Edelweiss Graziers Cooperative plans to add value to their cream to create an artisanal, locally-made, small-batch and hand-packed fresh Wisconsin butter. This product concept demonstrates innovation, matches the cooperative’s values and meets customer demand.
Local Choice Marketing, LLC, Avoca: $12,500
Local Choice Marketing plans to market seasonal-based cheeses by building upon their brand awareness and increase sales through market development. This also entails a plan to grow distribution outlets, while maintaining current accounts, increasing production in response to demand.
Silver Lewis Cheese Factory Cooperative, Monticello: $13,000
To meet product demand and growing cheese sales, Silver Lewis Cheese Factory Cooperative is engineering an expansion with an upgraded processing and storage area. In line with this expansion will also be new cheese flavor development coupling innovation with the modernization of their production system.
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars, Theresa: $28,000
Utilizing their heritage and cheese background, Widmers Cheese Cellars are expanding their line of cheese to offer an original new product line – a wash rind, cave aged type cheese with an old world type offering. The successfully processing and introduction of this new cheese, Villa Theresa, will open up new markets with an old-world product.
The Value Added Dairy Initiative Dairy processor grant program offers funding to individuals or groups, businesses and organizations to help fund projects geared at innovation, market development and, or modernization of dairy processing. A total of $300,000 is available this year, with the maximum grant award per project being $35,000. Grant recruitment is broken down into three periods.
The grants are part of the Value Added Dairy Initiative (VADI) Year 5 program funding, which Sen. Herb Kohl and Rep. Dave Obey secured to support Wisconsin’s dairy industry. The Dairy Business Innovation Center and the Grow Wisconsin Dairy Team are key components of the VADI initiative and the Governor’s efforts to grow the state’s agriculture industry. Since its start-up in April 2004, the program has administered $2.95 million in grants to 300 producers, processors and local dairy groups.
Applications for the next round of grants must be received by 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30. Email submissions are preferred, but mailed, faxed and hand-delivered applications are acceptable. Details on the request for grant proposals and application materials are available at www.datcp.state.wi.us/mktg/business/marketing/val-add/initiative or by calling Matt Lange at 608-224-5081.
