California Ag Network

Tag: USDA AMS

  • Federal Funds Awarded on Behalf of West Coast Dairy Businesses

    Over $11 million in grant funding has been released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA AMS) to support dairy producers and businesses through the Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives (DBI) initiative. The allocation of $690,000 will strengthen small and mid-sized dairy businesses and university pilot plants in California, Oregon, and Washington – all served by the Pacific Coast Coalition – Dairy Business Innovation Initiative (PCC-DBII).

    “We anticipate a quick turnaround in distributing these funds so the awardees can see results,” said PCC Director Carmen Licon Ph.D. “Based on applications submitted in the recent Fall 2025 cycle, these resources will help dairy processors in the development, production, marketing, and distribution of dairy products,”

    According to Project Co-Director and “Cowkeeper” Susan Pheasant, PhD., many generational farms and new innovators will now be able to better produce cheese, ice cream, and additional higher value dairy products.

    Hosted by California State University, Fresno, The PCC-DBII is funded through the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service and is a collaboration with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Chapman University, Oregon State University, Oregon Dairy Council, Washington State University, and the California Dairy Innovation Center. For more information: https://www.dairypcc.net or nancyvanleuven@gmail.com.

    PCC grantee Cottage Hill Creamery goat milk products (Beavercreek, OR)

  • $5.87 Million Awarded To Dairy Businesses In California And Other Western States

    $5.87 million in grants have been awarded to dairy processors along the Pacific Coast, strengthening the region’s food systems. The Pacific Coast Coalition – Dairy Business Innovation Initiative (PCC-DBII), hosted by California State University, Fresno, has named 28 winners across California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and New Mexico. While all grants are pivotal to the sustainability and longevity of each respective business, Rosa Brothers Milk Company (Hanford, CA) was awarded almost $1 million for the purchasing of ice cream equipment to meet demands, produce novelty items, provide healthier alternatives and expand into the pet food market with Greek-style frozen yogurt pet treats. Grants of $500,000 were given to Pacific Cheese Co. (Reno, NV) for an upgraded cheese cuber that will almost triple production in a growing market, Petit Pot (Emeryville, CA) for launching a more affordable paper cup 2-pack without compromising on quality, and CheeseBits (Riverbank, CA) for reducing COGS through automation, adding jobs and expanding into new markets. With $4.78 million going towards equipment-related investments, all grants support the economics of innovation in the dairy industry.

    Grouped by state, grant awardees include:

    California

    Oregon

    Washington

    Nevada 

    New Mexico
    Camino de Paz (Santa Cruz)

    “Each grant awardee embodies the passion and initiative to build a stronger dairy presence on the West Coast, and to forge bonds between food producers/processors and consumers,  said PCC-DBII Project Director Carmen Licon Cano, Ph.D. “Recipients range from adding a creamery location where people can watch cheese being made on a small scale to transitioning a production line with automation, allowing employees to free up for other important tasks, like creating new value-added dairy products.  All projects are exciting, allowing dairy processors to make nutritious, delicious dairy products available locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.”

    Grant winners’ intentions range from upgrading equipment, streamlining processes, optimizing packaging, adding more jobs, developing new products, and generating new market growth. From first-generation businesses to multi-generational legacies, these grants support the future of the dairy industry and the strength of our nation’s food systems.

    Dairy processing businesses and farmsteads throughout the West Coast are actively investing grant funds to catalyze change via their product offerings, production efficiencies, job retention/growth, and market expansion.  Dr. Susan Pheasant, Director of the Institute for Food and Agriculture and the “cowkeeper” for the PCC-DBII commented “We are thrilled to work with each of these businesses and honored to steward the USDA AMS dairy innovation funding for product development, business resiliency, access to high-quality food nutrition, and the rebuilding of communities.

    About the Pacific Coast Coalition

    Dairy Business Innovation Initiative is funded through the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service and hosted by California State University, Fresno. The initiative is in collaboration with Cal Poly Humboldt, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Chapman University, Chico State, Oregon State University, Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council, UC Davis, Washington State University, New Mexico State University and the California Dairy Innovation Center. This is the fourth round of grant funding through the PCC-DBII. Via four rounds of funding, PCC-DBII has made nearly $10.7 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. For more information on the PCC-DBII and available resources, please visit their website at https://www.dairypcc.net/

  • $4.1 Million In Grants Available To California Dairy Processors

    Through February 29, 2024, dairy processors along the Pacific Coast are encouraged to apply for grants from the Pacific Coast Coalition – Dairy Business Innovation Initiative (PCC-DBII). $4.1 million in grants are currently available to dairy processors in California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Washington and Oregon. This fourth round of funding will include pandemic recovery (such as price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19.)

    Dairy producers and dairy processing businesses in the aforementioned states are invited to submit proposals that meet one or more of the PCC DBII program goals:

      • Developing new dairy value-added products, culturally diverse and ethnic value-added dairy products to meet evolving consumer trends in the region.
      • Adapting current dairy products to meet evolving consumer “wants,” to meet both domestic and export demand trends.
      • Developing new product lines and expanding the dairy product portfolio to meet domestic and/or export demand for fresh milk and milk products.
      • Expanding milk usage beyond food and drink, for example packaging/films, edible products for companion animals, cosmetics, and other high-value segments.
      • Adding value to milk by increasing its intrinsic value through differentiation production system/feed additives for nutritional enhancement, and fractionation of components.
      • Adopting alternative processing technologies for value-added dairy products, optimization, and/or recovery of high-value co-streams to increase the profitability of the dairy sector.
      • Creating future opportunities for value-added ingredients and nutritional powders, milk fat products, and specialty blends, and decreasing the dependence on commodity markets.
      • Developing sustainability leadership through innovation in packaging, processing efficiencies, reduced losses/waste, and novel uses of co-products (net-zero dairy processing plants). Note: Dairy producer and/or processor applicant(s) may need to partner with non-dairy entity(ies) to address this goal)
      • Extending awareness and consumption of higher value dairy processing products through communications, strategic planning, marketing plans, and expanding hands-on agritourism

    The PCC-DBII, hosted by California State University, Fresno and funded through the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, is dedicated to strengthening and supporting the dairy industry. By addressing these goals, they seek to help diversify the dairy product market, reduce risk and develop higher value uses for dairy products, promote business development that diversifies farmer/processor income through innovation, and encourage the use of regionally produced milk.

    The initiative is in collaboration with Cal Poly Humboldt, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Chapman University, Chico State, Oregon State University, Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council, UC Davis, New Mexico State University, Washington State University, and the California Dairy Innovation Center. This is the fourth round of grant funding through the PCC-DBII. Once this round closes, the PCC-DBII will have made nearly $9.1 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.
    href=”https://usw2.nyl.as/t1/215/cugi9vpqil9hha9bmv337zhmi/7/6487d7386d0c69671f1faeee82993294a2c160e63ce0a9e4c7872b6694f53f2e”>Applications will be accepted January 2, 2024 – February 29, 2024.

    The PCC-DBII is hosting an “Office Hours” via Zoom on Thursday, February 8th at 4pm to answer any questions businesses may have about their eligibility and the application process. Link to attend HERE

    Meeting ID: 853 0563 1054
    Passcode: 045233

    For more information: https://www.dairypcc.net/

  • Dairy Business Innovation Grant Through USDA Farm Bill

    Although the 2018 Farm Bill did not solve all of agriculture’s economic problems, there was one specific provision providing funds to improve US dairy marketing that producers should know about and may apply for.  Watch this brief interview with Dana Coale from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service for more details.

  • Three Ways the Farm Bill Can Assist Dairy Producers

    There are multiple ways the 2018 Farm Bill is assisting the dairy industry through some difficult times, but watch this brief interview with Dana Coale from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, as she explains three of the provisions dairy producers should know about. Read more in California Dairy Magazine.