Local Cheese Promotion and Dairy Support Act of 2018

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Local Cheese Promotion and Dairy 
Support Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. ASSISTANCE FOR SMALL CHEESE PRODUCERS.

    The Agricultural Adjustment Act (7 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), reenacted 
with amendments by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 24. ASSISTANCE FOR SMALL CHEESE PRODUCERS.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Eligible institution.--The term `eligible 
        institution' means--
                    ``(A) a land-grant college or university (as 
                defined in section 1404 of the National Agricultural 
                Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 
                U.S.C. 3103));
                    ``(B) a local office of the National Institute of 
                Food and Agriculture or other regional office of the 
                Department of Agriculture;
                    ``(C) a group of regional experts (as determined by 
                the Secretary) that advises beginning farmers or 
                ranchers (as defined under section 343(a) of the 
                Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 
                1991(a))); or
                    ``(D) a nonprofit organization.
            ``(2) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
            ``(3) Small cheese producer.--The term `small cheese 
        producer' has the meaning given the term by the Secretary.
    ``(b) Grant Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a program 
        under which the Secretary shall make competitive grants to, as 
        determined by the Secretary--
                    ``(A) eligible small cheese producers; and
                    ``(B) cooperative groups of small cheese producers.
            ``(2) Preference.--In making grants under this subsection, 
        the Secretary shall give preference to small cheese producers 
        that use locally or regionally sourced product to produce 
        cheese.
            ``(3) Use of funds.--The recipient of a grant under this 
        subsection may use grant funds--
                    ``(A) to purchase equipment or renovate and make 
                repairs to production facilities;
                    ``(B) to develop a business plan or perform a 
                feasibility study to grow the business of the small 
                cheese producer;
                    ``(C) to promote and market cheese;
                    ``(D) to participate in accounting and financial 
                literacy education and training or purchase necessary 
                software;
                    ``(E) to upgrade facilities to meet food safety 
                standards;
                    ``(F) to participate in food safety training; and
                    ``(G) to participate in relevant job training, such 
                as training in--
                            ``(i) cheese-making quality; or
                            ``(ii) the production of a variety of 
                        cheese that the recipient has not produced 
                        before.
    ``(c) Cheese Production Education and Promotion Pilot Project.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall not use more than 10 
        percent of the funds made available to carry out this section 
        to establish at one or more eligible institutions a pilot 
        project that will--
                    ``(A) develop, or support an existing, regional 
                cheese-making resource center with the technical 
                assistance and electronic resource capabilities to 
                provide small cheese producers with financial, 
                marketing, food safety, and production assistance;
                    ``(B) support a group of experienced cheese 
                producers or subject matter experts (as determined by 
                the Secretary) to advise beginning cheese producers; 
                and
                    ``(C) establish, or grow an existing, national 
                cheese-making resource center to act as a clearinghouse 
                for best practices applicable to small cheese 
                producers.
            ``(2) Requirements.--To be eligible to receive funding to 
        establish a pilot project described in paragraph (1), an 
        eligible institution shall demonstrate to the Secretary--
                    ``(A) the capacity and technical expertise to 
                provide the services described in that paragraph;
                    ``(B) the support of the eligible institution in 
                the agricultural community; and
                    ``(C) the availability of resources (in cash or in 
                kind) of definite value to achieve the goal and sustain 
                the mission of the pilot project.
    ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2019 through 2023, to remain available until expended.''.

Summary: Local Cheese Promotion and Dairy Support Act of 2018 This bill amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act to establish a Department of Agriculture (USDA) program to provide competitive grants to small cheese producers and cooperative groups of small cheese producers.  In awarding grants, USDA must define the term &quot;small cheese producer&quot; and give preference to producers that use locally or regionally sourced product to produce cheese. Grant recipients may use the funds to:    purchase equipment or renovate and make repairs to production facilities, develop a business plan or perform a feasibility study to grow the business,   promote and market cheese,  participate in accounting and financial literacy education and training,  carry out food safety upgrades and training, and participate in job training.   Using no more than 10% of the funds provided for this bill, USDA must establish a cheese production, education, and promotion pilot project at eligible institutions, including:  land-grant colleges or universities,  local offices of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture or other regional USDA offices,  groups of regional experts that advise beginning farmers or ranchers, or nonprofit organizations.