The Wisconsin Dairy Business Innovation Center, which has played a key role in the rise of speciality and artisanal cheese there over the last several years, will cease operations in 2012 unless it can find a way to replace its federal funding.
The DBIC, a not-for-profit organisation founded in 2004, provides business, technical and marketing support for startup dairy operations or businesses looking to expand. The DBIC was funded through specially designated funding in congressional legislatio. However, Congress earlier this year agreed to a two-year ban on such funding.
Since the DBIC opened as part of the state’s Value Added Dairy Initiative, 43 new dairy processing plants have opened in the state and 92 have expanded. The DBIC has worked with new companies such as Sassy Cow Creamery, along with longtime businesses such as Carr Valley Cheese.
The DBIC has been a virtual centre without a headquarters, providing consultants to work with dairy producers to add value to their operations. It gets administrative support from the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection but no state funding.
The organisation was founded because of concerns about the state’s dairy industry.
“In 2004, the dairy industry was in deep trouble in Wisconsin,” said Dan Carter, DBIC’s founder and chairman. “There was no building, farms were closing, California was going to be No. 1 in cheese, so it was a challenge.”
The DBIC’s annual budget is $500,000. Carter said the DBIC now will try to raise funds with hopes of creating an endowment to continue the organization.
The DBIC is scaling back operations to stretch out its money until next June. It will concentrate on technical support to speciality dairy operations and cut back on education.