DBIA Offers $10,000 Grants for On-Farm H5N1 Biosecurity Efforts

Aug 16, 2024

By Grace Atherton

Midwestern dairy farmers can apply now at WisCheeseMakers.org for reimbursement grants of up to $10,000 each to support on-farm biosecurity efforts amid the ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in dairy cattle. Total pilot program funding of $100,000 is available on a first-come, first-served basis through the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), a partnership between Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) and the Center for Dairy Research (CDR).

"We know that farmers face myriad pressures, and we want to help them feel supported as they address new challenges posed by the outbreak of H5N1 in dairy herds. WCMA, together with our friends at CDR, are pleased to offer funding for dairy businesses to maintain safety and security for their operations, employees, and animals,” said WCMA Senior Director of Programs & Policy Rebekah Sweeney.

Funding is available to dairy farmers operating anywhere in DBIA’s 11-state service region: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. No match is required. Grant funds can be used to support the purchase of equipment and supplies, employee training, and biosecurity consulting services.

Click here to see more...

Video: Four Star Pork Industry Conf - Back to Basics: Fundamentals drive vaccine performance

At a time when disease pressure continues to challenge pork production systems across the United States, vaccination remains one of the most valuable and heavily debated tools available to veterinarians and producers.

Speaking at the 2025 Four Star Pork Industry Conference in Muncie, Indiana, Dr. Daniel Gascho, veterinarian at Four Star Veterinary Service, encouraged the industry to return to fundamentals in how vaccines are selected, handled and administered across sow farms, gilt development units and grow-finish operations.

Gascho acknowledged at the outset that vaccination can quickly become a technical and sometimes tedious topic. But he said that real-world execution, not complex immunology, is where most vaccine failures occur.