2020 Dairy Processor Grant Recipients Announced

Eleven Wisconsin dairy companies will receive Dairy Processor Grants for 2020 from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). The grants are designed to foster innovation, improve profitability and sustain the long-term viability of Wisconsin’s dairy processors.

“Wisconsin is known for its world-class dairy farms, equipment, knowledge and technology,” said Krista Knigge, administrator for DATCP’s Division of Agricultural Development (DAD). “To be a national and global leader in the dairy industry, our processors have to be exploring new technologies, modernizing facilities, and exploring new ways to adapt and be profitable. These grants are designed to help them accomplish those goals.”

A total of $200,000 was available for the 2020 Dairy Processor Grants, with a maximum of $50,000 for each project. Grant recipients are required to provide a match of at least 20 percent of the grant amount. DATCP received 26 requests totaling almost $1,000,000. Through a competitive review process, 11 dairy processors were selected to receive a total of $200,000.

Grant recipients are:

• Agropur Dairy Cooperative (Luxemburg) – Install a milk fat recovery system that captures molder and cooker water fat from waste water and converts it into a value-added product.
• Moundview Dairy (Platteville) – Install a bioremediation “live machine” system, which uses natural microbes and hydroponic plants to cleanse and purify “wash-water” from cleaning milk trucks, tanks, and cheese making equipment.
• Cedar Grove Cheese (Plain) – Install block chain technology to track information for food safety, market development and other apsects of production and sales.
• Henning Cheese (Kiel) – Create and install a line-packaging machine and redesign mozzarella equipment to increase production.
• Wisconsin Pride Cheese Company (Mauston) – Expand facility to accommodate a new brine system and increase cheese production capacity.
• Holland’s Family Cheese (Thorp) – Funds will be used to pursue SQF2 (Food Safety) inspection/certification over two years utilizing a four-step process.
• Yodelay Yogurt (Madison) – Design and build a custom case packer instead of hand-making boxes used in product packing.
• Zimmerman Cheese Company (South Wayne) – Design and build a new raw milk silo alleyway to double milk-holding capacity.
• Arena Cheese (Arena) – Install a reverse osmosis system to concentrate lactose permeate coming from a ultrafiltration unit that separates protein from lactose, thereby reducing the cost of disposal and increasing the value of the disposal product.
• Nasonville Dairy (Marshfield) – Hire an independent consultant to complete a Global Food Safety Initiative audit and provide training for SQF (Food Safety) compliance for staff.
• Caprine Supreme (Black Creek) – Invest in a new pasteurizer and cheese vat to allow increased capacity of goat cheese production.

Source: WRJC.com

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