Apply Now for Dairy Business Innovation Alliance Grants

Aug 07, 2025

By Grace Atherton

Applications are open now for direct-to-business grants across two programs offered by the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA). A total of approximately $3 million in funding is available to small- to medium-sized dairy farmers, manufacturers, and processors in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

The Dairy Business Builder and Dairy Industry Impact grant programs are administered by DBIA, a partnership between the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) and the Center for Dairy Research (CDR). Applicants interested in diversifying on-farm activity, creating value-added products, or enhancing dairy byproducts are eligible to apply for the Dairy Business Builder program. Businesses pursuing projects focused on exporting or sustainability with a potential impact on the broader industry can apply for the Dairy Industry Impact grant program. Applicants may apply to both grant programs and are eligible to receive awards of up to $100,000 from each offering. For large equipment expenditures, awards of up to $150,000 may be made due to rising equipment costs.

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Video: Methionine Requirements for Lactating Sows - Cierra Kozole

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Cierra Kozole, PhD candidate in Swine Nutrition at the University of Guelph, explains how methionine supports lactating sows beyond milk protein synthesis. She discusses updated requirement estimates, source comparisons, methylation demand, and why modern sow genetics may require more precise amino acid strategies. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Methionine supports protein synthesis while also serving critical functions through methylation pathways that influence multiple biological processes."

Meet the guest: Cierra Kozole / cierra-kozole-772b64253 is a PhD candidate in Swine Nutrition at the University of Guelph in Canada. Her doctoral research focuses on refining estimates of methionine requirements for primiparous lactating sows, including evaluating methionine sources, nutrient partitioning, methylation reactions, and the links among amino acid supply, milk production, and sow protein retention. Learn more from Cierra Kozole on The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms.