WATERLOO, Wis. — Wisconsin’s Dairy Business Innovation Alliance is getting $20 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan, Sen. Tammy Baldwin announced Monday.

During a stop at Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese in Waterloo amid National Dairy Month, Baldwin and agriculture officials announced a total of $80 million in awards to four different Dairy Business Innovation initiatives. The initiatives help dairy businesses develop, produce, market and distribute their products, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Baldwin authored the bill that created the initiatives in 2018.

“It is critical for our farmers, cheese makers and processors to have the tools they need to innovate,” she said.

The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance, a partnership between the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association and the Center for Dairy Research, helps farms and businesses across five states in the region.

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