Dairy Business Innovation Center to Close

By CnAgri2012-09-14 19:38:36 Print

A Wisconsin-based organization that helps promote the specialty and artisan cheese industry is closing down at the end of September because of a lack of funding.

The Dairy Business Innovation Center--which provides business, technical and marketing support for startup dairy operations, as well as other companies looking to expand--announced they will cease operations because they were unable to raise the $500,000 needed each year to operate.

The program was started in 2004 and has helped 43 new processing plants come on-line since its inception.

DBIC directors say since most of their funding comes from government earmarks, which have been getting cut in recent years, it's becoming difficult to raise other sources of income.