Benton Harbor’s Old Europe Cheese is the recipient of a cheese industry grant aimed at revitalizing one of its cheese products, sliced brie. Old Europe’s cheese manufacturing plant is located at 1330 East Empire, Benton Harbor.
The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), a partnership between the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association and the Center for Dairy Research, has announced 44 grant awardees – including two Michigan companies – totaling over $3.5 million.
“The support and investment of the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance allows our $15 billion a year dairy sector to continue to expand and thrive,” said Tim Boring, director, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. “Dairy businesses are a vital part of our state’s food and agriculture industry and companies like Leelanau Cheese Company and Reny Picot – Old Europe Cheese, Inc. are great examples of companies ‘Making It in Michigan.”
Reny Picot – Old Europe Cheese, Inc. has been delivering fine specialty cheeses since 1987. The Benton Harbor company sources sustainable milk and cream from Michigan dairies for their award-winning, artisan handcrafted cheeses. The $98,000 DBIA grant will assist in reintroducing sliced brie, capturing lost sales, expanding production capacity and creating jobs.
Old Europe’s Reny Picot brand of brie has been the recipient of numerous awards at cheese and food shows all over the World over several decades.
For more than two years, the company has been working to bounce back from a government FDA recall after a contamination issue was discovered in one product. Old Europe fully cooperated in the follow up to the recall.
The grant funds are awarded as part of DBIA’s Dairy Business Builder grant program. The program aims to help support small- to medium-sized dairy businesses in diversifying on-farm activity, creating value-added products, enhancing dairy by-products, and creating or enhancing dairy export programs. Reimbursement grants of up to $100,000 each are awarded following a competitive review process.
The other Michigan grant recipient is located near Traverse City.
Leelanau Cheese Company, established in 1995, has developed a local and international reputation for their cave-aged, award-winning, European style cheeses. Located in Suttons Bay, Leelanau Cheese Company aims to produce accessible and quality dairy products that highlight Michigan’s rich agricultural landscape. The $100,000 grant from DBIA will help upgrade equipment to increase production capacity and expand markets.
DBIA is funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture award intended to drive dairy business innovation and make the industry more robust and resilient. Since its inception as part of the 2018 Farm Bill, the DBIA has awarded over 250 grants totaling more than $20 million to dairy businesses in Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The program also offers technical assistance and education to dairy farmers and processors in the region.
The next DBIA grant application period will open in February 2025.
For more information on grant opportunities and DBIA, visit the DBIA Grant website.
