2022 September Board Book

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Veronique Lagrange, Director California Dairy Innovation Center vlagrange@cmab.net (202) 316-1265

Pacific Coast Coalition Announces August 30 th Application Deadline for Dairy Innovation Grants Up to $50,000 in Support of Product Innovation Open Call to Dairy Producers and Processors First Phase of Microgrants in California Dairy Innovation Center Partnership Promoting Product Innovation

Tracy, Calif. – July 11, 2022 – The California Dairy Innovation Center (CDIC), the dairy innovation partner to the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), today announced the availability of first round of grants through Pacific Coast Coalition’s Dairy Business Innovation Initiative (DBII). Producers and processors can apply through August 30th for a maximum of $50,000 per application for initiatives supporting dairy businesses in the development, production, marketing, and distribution of dairy products. Funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, DBII program funded initiatives focus on product, process and packaging innovation and serve to: • Diversify dairy product markets to reduce risk and develop higher value uses for dairy products, • Promote business development that diversifies farmer income through processing and marketing innovation, and • Encourage the use of regional milk production. The grants are the first in the $1.8 million DBII award from the USDA that created the Pacific Coast Coalition to support dairy businesses in California, Oregon and Washington in the development, production, marketing, and distribution of dairy products. John Talbot, CEO of the California Milk Advisory Board said, “These grants offer a tremendous opportunity for producers and processors to think outside the box to prepare and launch bold innovation focused projects that can have a transformative impact on our industry. And we’re just getting started. This is just the first set of grants and will be complimented with additional opportunities in the near future.”