Dairy processors throughout the Pacific Coast are among the 128 total grant winners to date receiving impactful investments aimed at strengthening the dairy processing industry’s resilience. The Pacific Coast Coalition—Dairy Business Innovation Initiative (PCC-DBII), hosted by California State University, Fresno, has awarded more than $13,000,000 in grant funding to dairy processors including local farmsteads in California, Oregon, and Washington along with Arizona, New Mexico,and  Nevada..

“These grants help strengthen regional dairy processors throughout the West Coast region as well as increase the capacity for new product development and business economic sustainability,” said PCC-DBII project director Carmen Licon Cano, Ph.D. “Each grant contributes to equipment efficiencies and leverages expertise that translates into new products, new markets, new/retained jobs, and increased financial well-being of the businesses.”

“PCC dairy business grants truly make a difference for families, communities, and the region as they recognise entrepreneurship, product creativity, and increase the availability of innovative cheese, butter, yogurt, kefir,frozen dessert products, cosmetics, and nutritional supplements regionally and nationally,” said Dr. Susan Pheasant, director of the Institute for Food and Agriculture and “cowkeeper” for the PCC-DBII. “We celebrate these grant winners as they move forward in building economic sustainability and regional growth through the production and sale of high-quality dairy foods and products.”

California:

1. 2GoodFarm
2. Bagnoli Original Organic
3. Carmel Valley Creamery
4. Claravale Farm Company
5. Joseph Gallo Cheese Company
6. Mavens Creamery
7. Stuyt Dairy Farmstead Cheese Company

Oregon:

1. Helvetia Creamery
2. Umpqua Dairy Products

Washington:

1. Harmony Fields
2. Lost Peacock Creamery
3. Grace Harbor Farms
4. Mountain View Creamery
5. Nutty Squirrel Gelato

The initiative is in collaboration with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, California Dairy Innovation Center, Chapman University, Oregon State University, Oregon Dairy Council as part of Dairy West,  and Washington State University. These awards represent the 7th round of grant funding through the PCC-DBII. Via seven rounds of funding, PCC-DBII has made over $13 million in grants from the USDA AMS available to regional dairy businesses for innovation-related investments, helping dairy processors evolve their operations and adopt more sustainable practices.