U-DAIRE: Undergraduate Development and Internship Research Experience
Details
- Paid Summer Internship
- 9 Weeks: Summer 2025
- June 2 -August 1
- Stipend
- 9 Weeks: Summer 2025
- Leadership Development
- Leadership Training Session on-campus at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville
- Dairy Industry Experience
- Work experience at a Value-Added Dairy Enterprise or Research Lab in Tennessee, North Carolina, or, Kentucky
Applications were due in March for the 2025 internship program.
There are many grant opportunities specific to value-added producers and producers looking to begin a value-added enterprise. Others help farmers in general.
National
- Value-Added Producer Grant (find a series of informational videos here)
- Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) (find an informational video here)
- Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program
- Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program
- Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program
Tennessee
- Agricultural Enterprise Fund
- Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP): Producer Diversification
Kentucky
North Carolina
Creating a High Quality Grant Proposal
Assessing Value-Added Dairy Business Expansion Workshop Series
Session 1: Hal Pepper, Extension Specialist, Center for Profitable Agriculture
Topics: Questions to consider when expanding a value-added dairy business and how to apply for the USDA’s Value-Added Producer Grant.
Watch Here.
Session 2: Matthew Wade, Director of Farm Laboratories, Middle Tennessee State University
Topics: Case study for growing a value-added dairy enterprise at MTSU.
Watch Here.
Session 3: Sarah Cornelisse, Senior Extension Associate, Penn State
Topics: Tools for analyzing feasibility and profitability for value-added dairy businesses.
Watch Here.
Dair-ing To Learn Value-Added Webinar Series
Description
Educational sessions to help direct farm marketers and value-added agriculture entrepreneurs analyze, develop, and grow their enterprises. While the program especially targets value-added dairy producers, all are welcome and encouraged to participate!
Date, Time, and Location
All sessions will be held on the second Tuesday of each month via Zoom at 11:30 AM CDT / 12:30 PM EDT:
January 14, 2025 – “Pitfalls to Avoid when Growing a Value-Added Dairy Business” – Sarah Cornelisse, Penn State University
February 11, 2025 – “Research-Based Marketing Insights for the Dairy Industry” – Dr. Alicia Rihn, UT Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics
March 11, 2025 – “Principles of Layout & Design for Social Media Content Creation” – Alaina Boyd, UT Center for Profitable Agriculture
April 8, 2025 – “Principles of Visual Branding for Consistent Digital Marketing” – Alaina Boyd, UT Center for Profitable Agriculture
May 13, 2025 – “Transition Planning” – Les Humpall, UT Center of Farm Management
June 10, 2025 – “E-Commerce Essentials” – Alaina Boyd, UT Center for Profitable Agriculture
July 8, 2025 – “MarketReady Core Training” – Dr. Tim Woods, University of Kentucky
August 12, 2025 – “Estate Planning” – Christina Bartee, Batson Nolan PLC
September 9, 2025 – “NAFMDA Lessons Learned” – 2025 NAFDMA Professional Development Scholarship Recipients
October 14, 2025 – Session Title TBA – Paul Goeringer, University of Maryland
November 11, 2025 – “Simplifying Social Media Tactics” – Alaina Boyd, UT Center for Profitable Agriculture
December 9, 2025 – Session Title TBA – Brent Lackey and Kellie Padgett, KY Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (KCARD)
Registration
Registration is free, but pre-registration is required.
Please register here at tiny.utk.edu/dairing.
Past Recordings
View the YouTube playlist of past Dair-ing to Learn sessions here.
Questions?
Contact Alaina Boyd at 931-486-2777 ext 126 or acboyd@utk.edu.
TAEP Eligibility
Producers participating in at least five sessions per calendar year will fulfill one Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) Producer Diversification educational requirement for the following Producer Diversification sectors: Agritourism, Fruits and Vegetables, and Value-Added. Questions about TAEP should be directed to the TAEP Producer Diversification Coordinator at the Tennessee Department of Agriculture at producer.diversification@tn.gov. To receive credit, participants must either attend the live sessions or view recordings AND submit the evaluation/attendance for all sessions by December 31, 2025.
Funding for this program is made possible, in part, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service. Additional information about the Southeast Dairy Business Innovation Initiative can be found at https://tiny.utk.edu/sdbii.
Workshop Flyer:
2025 Value-Added Dairy Experiential Short Course
You asked, we listened! Many of the dairy producers and processors we serve have gotten to know each other very well throughout the years by participating in various SDBII events; however, due to the geographic locations and distance between their operations, few have been able to step foot on each other’s operations. This year, we are thrilled to announce that our Experiential Short Course will be merged with the Southeast Value-Added Dairy Conference, with visits to Southeastern operations leading up to and following the conference to allow bus trip participants a chance to truly visit their neighbors in the South and see the ideas they’ve heard for years with their own eyes.
For those accepted into the course, conference registration and lodging will be covered free of charge. Those accepted will also be eligible for up to $700 to defray the cost of travel to Knoxville. After the conference, participants will continue on with the group visiting small-scale processors in Western and Central North Carolina concluding on Monday August 4.
Apply to participate in the course HERE.
Course Itinerary
Wednesday, July 30
- Visits to Sweetwater Valley Farm and The University of Tennessee Little River Dairy Unit
Thursday, July 31 and Friday, August 1
- Southeast Value-Added Dairy Conference – University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Saturday, August 2
- Visits to Looking Glass Creamery & Carpigiani
Sunday, August 3
- Visits to Celebrity Dairy & Ran-Lew Dairy
Monday, August 4
- Visit Homeland Creamery and return to Knoxville
2025 American Cheese Society Travel Stipends
Through USDA Dairy Business Innovation Initiative resources, UT’s Center for Dairy Advancement and Sustainability is pleased to provide stipends to assist value-added dairy producers or key personnel in the Southeast Region (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia) to participate in the 2025 American Cheese Society (ACS) Conference. Selected individuals will be reimbursed up to $1,500 to help defray registration and selected travel expenses to attend the 2025 ACS Conference in Sacramento, CA between July 23-26.
Eligibility is open to owners, managers, or key personnel of the following operation types located in the Southeast Region. Eligible applicants must be affiliated with either an existing or prospective value-added dairy operation. Existing value-added dairy operations must be producing and marketing value-added dairy products (from cattle, sheep, goats, etc.) such as fluid milk, butter, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, soaps, lotions, or other cosmetics. Operations working toward becoming licensed dairy product manufacturers within the next 12 months are eligible to apply as well. Up to two applicants may apply per dairy operation.
Stipends will be issued as reimbursements once proof of expenses has been provided. Stipends may take 8-12 weeks to process after the conference is concluded. Applicants may be reimbursed up to $1,500. For those who demonstrate expenses less than $1,500, a lower reimbursement amount will be provided to cover expenses in full.
For more information about the American Cheese Society Conference click HERE.
To apply for a travel stipend, click HERE by July 15.
2026 NAFDMA Value-Added Dairy Professional Development Scholarship Opportunity
Description
The NAFDMA Professional Development Scholarship Opportunity provided by the UT Center for Profitable Agriculture on behalf of the Southeast Dairy Business Innovation Initiative (SDBII) provides an opportunity for value-added dairy producers or key personnel in the Southeast region (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia) to participate in professional development at the upcoming 2026 NAFDMA Convention & Expo to be held in Orlando, FL.
The conference and expo provide opportunities for producers to improve direct farm marketing operations through educational sessions, farm tours, and networking events.
Scholarship Details & Eligibility
Scholarship recipients will be reimbursed up to $2,500 to help defray registration and selected travel expenses to attend the 2026 NAFDMA Agritourism Convention and Expo in Orlando, Florida, from February 4 – 9, 2026.
Owners, managers, or key personnel of the following operation types located in the Southeast region are eligible to apply:
- Existing value-added dairy (cattle, sheep, or goat) operations producing and marketing value-added dairy products such as fluid milk, butter, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, soaps, lotions, other cosmetics, etc. If products for human consumption are being produced, the operation must be a licensed dairy product manufacturer.
- Operations working toward becoming a licensed dairy product manufacturer within the next 12 months.
Date, Time, and Location
The 2026 NAFDMA Agritourism Convention and Expo will be held in Orlando, Florida. The conference dates are February 4 – 9, 2026.
Additional information about the NAFDMA Agritourism Convention and Expo can be found online at nafdmaconvention.com.
Application
Apply for the 2026 NAFDMA Value-Added Dairy Professional Development Scholarship now at tiny.utk.edu/scholarship.
Applications for the scholarship opportunity may be reviewed as early as September 22. The final deadline to apply for this scholarship opportunity is October 1, 2025.
Questions?
Contact Troy Dugger with any questions regarding these workshop sessions at 931-486-2777 or via email at pdugger2@utk.edu.
Workshop Flyer:
