Innovation took center stage at this year’s World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack took the time to discuss the USDA’s Dairy Innovation Centers.
The centers serve as hubs for the development, production, marketing, and distribution of dairy products in USDA’s Dairy Business Innovation Grant Program.
Secretary Vilsack says that it is designed to support small to mid-sized dairy operations with product development and promotion needs.
“We’ve invested $64 million in these innovation centers helping to fund over 600 new opportunities for dairy producers in 40 states across the country, really focused on value-added opportunities, and modernizing dairy facilities for small and mid-sized operations,” the Secretary states.
There are currently Dairy Business Innovation Centers located in Wisconsin, Tennessee, Vermont, and California.
Vilsack says that they are a great example of leveraging tax dollars to create new opportunities for farm families.
