MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), today announced 13 Wisconsin dairy companies will receive a 2026 Dairy Processor Grant. These grants help local dairy processors with innovative projects to modernize and grow their businesses, produce new products, or expand their markets, while improving profitability and sustaining the long-term viability of Wisconsin’s dairy processing facilities.
“Perhaps now more than ever, as tariffs and reckless trade wars make what is an already strenuous job even harder for our state’s dedicated farm families and agricultural producers, we must be doing everything we can to ensure Wisconsin remains on top as America’s Dairyland,” said Gov. Evers. “I’m proud to have secured additional investments for this critical program in the most recent state budget I signed, and I’m glad to see these funds going out the door to ensure our dedicated dairy producers have the support and resources they need to compete and be successful.”
Since 2014, DATCP has received 283 Dairy Processor Grant proposals requesting more than $12.1 million. DATCP has funded 148 of those proposals, totaling $3.8 million. With such significant interest in these grants, Gov. Evers has continuously supported increased investments in the Dairy Processor Grant Program, and the 2025-27 Biennial Budget signed by Gov. Evers earlier this year included an additional $800,000 increase to support Wisconsin’s dairy processors and the state’s dairy supply chain, bringing total funding for the program to $1.2 million over the biennium.
“Wisconsin’s dairy processors are an important part of the success of the state’s dairy industry and in maintaining Wisconsin’s position as America’s Dairyland,” said DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski. “These grants allow processors to continue innovating, adapting, and meeting the demands of consumers, and interest in these grants remains strong.”
Thanks to the increased investments secured by Gov. Evers, a total of $600,000 was available for this year’s Dairy Processor Grants, with a maximum of $50,000 allowed for each project. Grant recipients are required to provide a match of at least 20 percent of the grant amount. DATCP received 16 grant requests totaling more than $743,000.
The 2026 Dairy Processor Grant recipients and their planned projects are:
- Briess in Chilton to invest in an upgrade of control systems.
- Organic Valley in La Farge to conduct consumer research to inform Organic Valley’s butter production and marketplace strategy to increase butter profitability at the Chaseburg Creamery.
- Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese in Waterloo to complete a major facility expansion to strengthen the ability to meet growing customer demand.
- Hidden Springs Creamery in Westby to develop a new market outreach platform to help attract more consumers to Hidden Springs and to promote Wisconsin’s sheep industry.
- Hill Valley Dairy in Milwaukee to modernize and improve methods of food traceability, cheese aging, and cheese sales.
- Hollands Family Farm in Thorp to implement technical support to optimize packaging and shipping operations at Marieke Gouda.
- Milk Specialties Company (Actus Nutrition) in Fond du Lac to investigate the potential of Milk Basic Proteins (MBP) as a value-added dairy ingredient.
- Pine River Dairy in Manitowoc to modernize butter packaging equipment to increase production capacity, enhance product quality, and expand market reach.
- Pine River Pre-Pack in Newton to install a natural gas line and replace the existing fuel oil-burning boiler and tank water heater at the processing facility.
- Rosewood Dairy Inc. (Renard’s Cheese) in Sturgeon Bay to construct a stand-alone building to house several self-serve AI “smart coolers.”
- Uplands Cheese in Dodgeville to invest in engineering and design services required to install a pasteurizer, which will provide food safety protection.
- Westby Creamery in Westby to modernize and replace the plug valve on valving system to improve sanitary connections to the silo to improve efficiency.
- Widmer’s Cheese Cellars in Theresa to complete a new and improved milk intake design proposal.
For more information on Dairy Processor Grants, visit DATCP’s website.
EVERS ADMINISTRATION’S EFFORTS TO SUPPORT FARMERS AND BOLSTER WISCONSIN’S AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES
Over the past six years, Gov. Evers has secured critical investments for farmers, producers, and their families, including supporting the state’s meat and dairy producers, investing in farmer mental health resources, and bolstering Wisconsin’s exports worldwide. Gov. Evers recognizes that Wisconsin’s more than $116 billion agricultural industry is as critical to the state economy as it is to Wisconsin’s heritage and culture, and ensuring its continued growth and success for generations to come will be critical to ensuring Wisconsin’s continued growth and success.
In addition to $800,000 to increase the available funding for the successful Dairy Processor Grant Program, the 2025-27 Biennial Budget signed by Gov. Evers earlier this year builds upon efforts of the Evers Administration to date to support Wisconsin’s agricultural industry and proud heritage as “America’s Dairyland,” by providing:
- Ongoing funding for the Wisconsin Initiative for Agricultural Exports (WIAE) program to continue to support farmers and producers wanting to expand into new markets and increase output and help Wisconsin navigate international markets for agriculture, forestry, and food products;
- Under Gov. Evers’ leadership, according to the WIAE, Wisconsin is currently ranked 12th in the nation for agricultural exports by state, up from 13th in 2021. Today, under Gov. Evers’ leadership, Wisconsin is well on its way to becoming a top 10 state in the country for agricultural exports.
- $150 million to continue support for the Agricultural Roads Improvement Program, created by Gov. Evers in the 2023-25 biennium, ensuring the ongoing improvement of Wisconsin’s rural roads to help farmers and producers and the state’s agricultural and forestry industries move products to market safely and efficiently;
- $30 million of the $150 million secured for ARIP will be specifically targeted to bridge and culvert repair to help improve and repair deteriorating bridges across the state.
- $20 million to create a new state program designed to support dairy and agriculture resilience;
- $10 million to continue the Food Security Initiative, a program created by Gov. Evers that connects local nonprofit food assistance programs, such as food pantries, with local producers to keep shelves stocked;
- $3 million to continue the Tribal Elder Food Security program that helps Tribal elders access nutritious, culturally relevant food while supporting Wisconsin producers;
- $1 million to bolster and support the Meat Processor Grant Program;
- Over $2.4 million over the biennium for the Meat Inspection Program to ensure meat products are produced safely and match nutrition labels;
- $200,000 to support farmers and their families’ mental health;
- $500,000 to increase funding for the Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grant Program, which helps enable producers and producer-led groups to implement nonpoint source pollution abatement strategies to improve Wisconsin’s soil and water quality;
- $2 million to continue the commercial Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program, which aims to protect vital soil and water resources; and
- An additional $1.6 million to support the cover crop insurance program, which helps assist farmers with rebates of $5 per acre of a cover crop planted for crop insurance premiums paid on those acres.
Gov. Evers also exercised his broad, constitutional veto authority to partially veto aspects of the budget that were outside of the bipartisan budget negotiations. More information about the bipartisan budget signed by Gov. Evers is available here.
An online version of this release is available here.
