Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association have committed a combined $180,000 to support the UW-River Falls Wuethrich Family/Grassland Dairy Center of Excellence. Pictured from left are Steve Kelm, chair, UWRF Animal and Food Science Department; Lisa Meyer, UWRF dairy plant project coordinator; Kay Zwald, Bomaz Farms operator and DFW board member; Ben Miller, DFW senior vice president of industry relations; Rueben Nilsson, UWRF dairy plant manager; John Umhoefer, WCMA executive director; Mike Orth, dean, UWRF College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences; and Rick Foy, UWRF assistant chancellor for University Advancement. UWRF photo 

Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association commit $180,000 to UWRF Wuethrich Family/Grassland Dairy Center of Excellence 

Investment will expand plant operations, training and workshops 

Feb. 19, 2025 - Two of the nation’s most respected and recognized dairy organizations, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin (DFW) and the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA), have announced their combined commitment of $180,000 to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Wuethrich Family/Grassland Dairy Center of Excellence.  
  
DFW and WCMA have each pledged $90,000 to the UWRF facility, demonstrating continued dairy industry support that has led to the transformation of the university’s dairy plant into an innovative production and training center.  
  
“We’re thrilled with this opportunity to partner with the UWRF dairy plant and look forward to the many important contributions this innovative facility will make to the dairy industry,” said Ben Miller, DFW senior vice president of industry relations. “We’re always looking to the future, and this center of production, research and development will help keep us competitive and growing in the years to come.”  
  
“We’re very happy to be part of UWRF student learning,” said Kay Zwald, a DFW executive committee member whose family operates Bomaz Farms in rural Hammond. “We’re excited about the opportunities this dairy plant creates to improve student learning and promote the dairy industry. It’s making the industry better all the way around.” 
  
DFW is a non-profit organization funded entirely by Wisconsin's dairy farm families to increase the sale and consumption of Wisconsin milk and dairy products. WCMA serves as the voice of cheese and dairy manufacturers, processors and marketers and now represents 110 dairy processing companies and cooperatives. 
  
“Dairy manufacturer members of the WCMA are honored to invest in staffing and education at the dairy pilot plant,” said John Umhoefer, WCMA executive director. “This initial commitment will provide the brainpower needed to make this state-of-the-art dairy plant a workhorse for students and the dairy industry.” 
  
The funding from DFW and WCMA will provide resources to: 

• Stimulate student hands-on learning/training and employment opportunities in the plant. 
• Increase the number and frequency of dairy industry education/training seminars featuring dairy plant operations. 
• Generate a strategic business plan to allow the dairy industry to become more aware of the dairy plant’s production, training and research opportunities and how it can fully interact with the facility. 
• Assist with the planning necessary to execute additional work. 
• Support overall dairy production operations. 

 “We’re so grateful for this vital funding from DFW and WCMA that will help better prepare our students for future careers and strengthen our dairy industry partnerships by offering more training workshops and certification courses,” said Mike Orth, dean of the UWRF College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. 
  
Dairy industry partners have been consistent and generous supporters throughout the UWRF facility’s renovation process, providing more than $5 million in critical funding for the $9 million project. The plant opened for operations last year and is now producing cheese and ice cream products.  
  
“On behalf of all of us at UWRF, I express deep appreciation to DFW and WCMA for this strategic funding for the Wuethrich Family/Grassland Center of Excellence,” said Rick Foy, assistant chancellor for University Advancement. “Students, faculty, staff and dairy industry professionals alike will benefit from this impactful support.”