DBIA Announces Grant Recipients

The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), a partnership between the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) and the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA), has selected 10 small and medium dairy businesses across the Midwest to receive over $46,000 in grants through the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA).

“Consumers are developing a taste for diverse, specialty dairy products, and that’s creating new opportunities for producers and processors across the Midwest. These small-dollar grants will have a big impact for sheep and goat businesses working hard to take advantage of those trends,” said WCMA Executive Director John Umhoefer.

“These DBIA grants are boosting the visibility of our region’s top-quality goat and sheep dairy products and connecting them with increasing consumer demand,” added CDR Assistant Director Tom Guerin.

The Goat and Sheep Processors Grant Program opened for applications in March 2026. Businesses could apply for awards of up to $6,000 each to support educational training, product development trials, or trade show participation.

Grant Recipients

• Blakesville Creamery is a small farmstead goat and sheep cheese producer in Port Washington, WI crafting soft‑ripened cheeses from their 1,500‑goat herd and local sheep milk. This award will help the creamery participate in key marketing and trade events, enabling them to educate cheese mongers and buyers about the value of their artisan cheeses and expand distribution into new markets.
• Carr Valley Cheese Company in La Valle, WI is a nationally recognized mixed‑milk cheesemaker with over 900 awards and a reputation for innovation. This award will support the first phase of developing a new artisan cheese line, filling a major market gap for locally produced specialty cheese.
• Hidden Springs Creamery is a sheep dairy and artisan cheese producer in Westby, WI known for its Driftless spreadable cheeses and innovative whey‑based products. This award will support education and training needed to launch a new product line that meets rising consumer demand.
• Kingston Cheese Cooperative in Cambria, WI supports 85 small family farms by innovating new dairy products and expanding market opportunities. This award will help the cooperative develop a new cheese as part of a diversification strategy that strengthens farm viability and preserves rural livelihoods.
• Nordic Creamery is a small family‑run dairy in Westby, WI crafting small‑batch goat, sheep, and cow‑milk cheeses, butter, and ice cream. This award will help the creamery conduct trials to develop a new cheese made from goat and sheep milk, expanding their product offerings and supporting local milk producers.
• Wild Angels Creamery in Cuba City, WI is a multi‑species farmstead dairy producing over 40 varieties of artisan cheeses from sheep, goat, and cow milk. This award will help the creamery scale production of a new mixed‑milk product line, transforming seasonal milk surpluses into a high‑value, farm‑to‑table product.