WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) demanded the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) restart payments already committed to Wisconsin Dairy Business Innovation (DBI) Initiative recipients. Baldwin’s call comes as bipartisan federal funding that was approved by Congress, signed into law, and already awarded to farmers has been halted at the direction of the Trump Administration – leaving 88 dairy businesses in Wisconsin waiting on a collective $6.5 million for reimbursement.
“The uncertainty surrounding DBI funding is incredibly alarming because it threatens the future of many dairy businesses that were promised this support to grow and remain competitive,” wrote Senator Baldwin in a letter to Secretary Rollins. “Many of the farmers and processors operate with limited resources and cannot afford disruptions in funding. Therefore, this unnecessary and ill-advised disruption could have widespread economic consequences, particularly, for small dairy operations in Wisconsin that drive our rural economies”
In addition to the 88 dairy businesses in Wisconsin waiting on a collective $6.5 million in reimbursements for funds appropriated in Fiscal Year 2023, the Wisconsin Initiative has been told they may not receive funding they were guaranteed for Fiscal Year 2024 – despite having already expended nearly $500,000.
“Given the importance of this program to dairy businesses across the country, I urge you to provide immediate clarification on the status of DBI Initiatives funding to the program’s stakeholders, as well as ensure that funds are reimbursed expeditiously,” Baldwin concluded.
Senator Baldwin successfully created the DBI program in the 2018 Farm Bill. To date, the Baldwin-backed program has supported over 250 dairy farmers and processors in the Midwest, including 109 in Wisconsin. Earlier this month, Senators Baldwin and Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Dairy Business Innovation Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation that builds on the support for regional dairy research and innovation centers across the country by raising the program’s annual authorization from $20 million to $36 million.
A full version of Baldwin’s letter is available here.
