USDA awards $3.45 million to support region’s dairy business innovation initiative
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee Center for Dairy Advancement and Sustainability (CDAS), directed by Associate Professor Elizabeth Eckelkamp of the Department of Animal Science, has received an additional $3.45 million in funding for the Southeast Dairy Business Innovation Initiative (SDBII). This program, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service, was established in 2019 through funds allocated under the 2018 Farm Bill.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture was one of four successful applicants to this program, the others being Center for Dairy Research in Wisconsin; the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets Division; and Fresno State University. Together, these programs establish a nationwide network to facilitate regional efforts to support dairy businesses in the development, production, marketing and distribution of dairy products.
Since the initial award, Eckelkamp’s multi-institutional team of researchers and specialists has received more than $52.7 million in funding, resulting in more than $21 million awarded back to the dairy community through grant programs. This includes 229 individual grants to dairy businesses focused on planning for new enterprises, investing in processing and dairy production technology and improving farm infrastructure. Within the recently awarded grant, Eckelkamp and her team of 46 experts will evaluate and maintain previous programs, continue to offer grants to dairy businesses, and expand previous marketing and branding activities through a dairy-specific Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning toolkit.
The University of Tennessee is partnering with North Carolina State University and the University of Kentucky as well as the Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development and Kentucky Dairy Development Council to engage communities in dairy opportunities. The focus is leadership and educational opportunities for dairy owners and operators, development of checklists and marketing tools and continued support for internships.
Eckelkamp says the funding is much needed to support the dairy industry in the Southeast and ensure the availability of regionally produced dairy products. “We are thrilled to receive continued funding for the Southeast Dairy Business Innovation Initiative. The feedback we receive from awardees and participants highlights the major impact SDBII has had on individual communities and across the region. Through CDAS and SDBII, we hope to keep helping our dairy community move forward. We know these funds will continue to encourage and improve our regional sustainability.”
For more information on the SDBII program, visit the program’s website: sdbii.tennessee.edu or email sdbiigrants@utk.edu.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.