As Congress weighs its 2027 spending plans and the Farm Bill, now is the time to advocate for Dairy Business Innovation Initatives funding.
Join Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association members across 45 states in calling for a boost to this impactful program, delivering millions in direct-to-business grants along with technical support and education. More than ever, the work of DBI centers is essential to our industry's stability and growth.
Advocating is easy with WCMA - just add your name and address to this form, and click send. Your message will go right to your U.S. Senators and Representative.
Have questions? Please contact WCMA Senior Director of Programs &amp; Policy Rebekah Sweeney at rsweeney@wischeesemakers.org.

Support Dairy Business Growth, Rural Opportunity

As a leader in the American dairy industry, I'm joining a call from Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association to respectfully request no less than $20 million in FY 2027 appropriations for the Dairy Business Innovation (DBI) Initiatives (DBI), administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service. As laid out in the House version of the Farm Bill, funding should be equally distributed across the four regional DBI centers, ensuring that dairy farmers and processors nationwide have equitable access to program benefits.

DBI initiatives support dairy businesses of all sizes in the development, production, marketing, and distribution of value-added dairy products. The four regional centers provide an effective, proven delivery model that responds quickly to both emerging challenges and opportunities, and long-term industry trends. Through technical assistance, market analysis, research and development support, workforce education, and targeted direct-to-business grants, DBI programs help modernize operations, foster innovation, expand markets, and strengthen supply chains. Increased funding to $20 million will allow each center to sustain and expand these activities, ensuring producers and processors in every region can compete in an increasingly volatile global marketplace.

The four DBI centers collectively serve dairy businesses across the entire United States:
The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) supports producers and processors across New England, with a focus on farm viability, value-added production, and regional market access.
The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), based in Wisconsin, serves the Midwest and works extensively with farmstead and artisan processors to diversify production and expand markets.
The Southeast Dairy Business Innovation Initiative (SDBII) assists dairy businesses across the Southeast in modernizing operations, improving efficiency, and developing new products suited to emerging regional markets.
The Pacific Coast Coalition – Dairy Business Innovation Initiative (PCC-DBII) supports producers and processors on the West Coast, including California, focusing on innovation, sustainability, and access to domestic and export markets.

Together, these centers ensure that dairy businesses in every region - from small family farms to mid-sized processors - can access the tools needed to remain competitive.

The need for robust DBI funding is urgent. U.S. dairy businesses face significant headwinds, including international market instability, new tariffs, chronic labor shortages, rising input and operating costs, and ongoing supply-chain disruptions. And access to capital remains a primary barrier for small and mid-sized dairy businesses – a gap DBI initiatives directly address.

Since launching in 2019, DBI centers have demonstrated measurable impact nationwide. Hundreds of dairy farmers and processors have received assistance to develop new products, enter new markets, and expand operations. The Wisconsin-based Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), for example, has awarded more than 300 grants totaling nearly $25 million, supporting dozens of start-ups and enabling significant growth among small and mid-sized businesses. Survey data from grant recipients show strong economic outcomes, including increased sales and revenue, expansion into new markets, job creation, employee retention, and improved business resilience. Many supported businesses now sell products locally, regionally, and nationally, with a growing share entering export markets.

DBI funding also strengthens the long-term stability of the U.S. dairy sector by encouraging diversification into value-added products such as specialty cheeses and cultured dairy items, supporting on-farm processing opportunities, and building regional supply chains. These efforts not only increase producer income potential but also create jobs, stimulate rural economies, and expand consumer access to high-quality U.S. dairy products domestically and abroad.

Inflation and rising costs have eroded the purchasing power of prior appropriations, while demand for DBI assistance continues to grow. Funding at $20 million in FY 2027 represents a practical, achievable increase that will allow all four centers to maintain program effectiveness and equitably serve dairy businesses across the country.

The Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives have proven to be one of the most effective federal programs for supporting small and mid-sized dairy businesses, fostering entrepreneurship, and strengthening the resilience of the U.S. dairy supply chain. WCMA urges Congress to provide $20 million in FY 2027 to sustain and expand this successful program for the benefit of dairy farmers, processors, rural communities, and consumers nationwide.

I appreciate your consideration and I would welcome the opportunity to talk with you about this pressing need.