The U.S. Department of Agriculture has unexpectedly and unprecedentedly frozen funding for Dairy Business Innovation (DBI) Initiatives.

This freeze impacts over 400 dairy businesses across the country, withholding $28,658,502.90 of Congressionally-appropriated funds critical to the stability and growth of hundreds of small, rural businesses and the nation’s dairy industry.

These Innovation Initiatives are supported by four organizations serving 44 states, one of which is the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), a center run by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) and the Center for Dairy Research supporting initiatives in the Midwest.

The DBIA alone has 88 dairy businesses awaiting promised reimbursement totaling nearly $6.5 million for their grant projects. This center’s affected dairy businesses are small, with 86 percent employing 50 or fewer workers, and 50 percent employing five or fewer workers. These small businesses are depending on the federal government to honor its commitment to them. 

The impact of this funding freeze extends well beyond the individual businesses affected; DBI Initiatives spur regional strategies to enhance the capacity, vitality, and innovation of the American dairy industry, contributing 3.2 million jobs and $794 billion in economic impact nationwide. 

“The funds provided through DBIs empower dairy farmers and processors to grow their capacity, explore new innovations, and become more resilient. These programs are much more than money – they strengthen the fabric of America’s dairy industry,” said WCMA Senior Director of Programs & Policy Rebekah Sweeney. “We are deeply concerned about the wide-reaching impacts of this decision, and we urge USDA to honor its commitment to our nation’s dairy businesses and release this funding now."

Please join our friends and farmers of the dairy industry by signing this petition to unfreeze the vital funding that supports Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives.