Three local cheese makers are among the recipients of a grant aimed at enhancing the resilience of dairy processors along the Pacific coast. Nicasio Valley Cheese Company, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company and Valley Ford Cheese and Creamery made up half the recipients from California and a quarter of all 12 grantees. The Pacific Coast Coalition’s Dairy Business Innovation Initiative is funded through the United States Department of Agriculture and hosted by California State University, Fresno. “Not only will these grants help businesses optimize their processes and innovate their products, but the West Coast region is building a stronger dairy presence,” project director Carmen Licon Cano said. “Each grant will result in timesaving equipment that develops new offerings, creates jobs and increases profitability.” Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese and Nicasio Valley Cheese will use the grant to purchase a new mechanical cheese cutter that will speed up the process and make more precise cuts, contributing to less waste. “We have been reluctant to offer smaller cheese slices due to the labor involved, but now we can offer smaller sizes to our customers, which should result in more sales with a higher profit margin,” said Scott Lafranchi, a partner at Nicasio Valley Cheese. It’s been a particularly good month for Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese, whose cheeses and jam were named in Oprah Winfrey’s “Favorite Things 2023 List” among 16 other food items. “We are in our busiest season and [this] has made this holiday even more hectic than normal,” co-owner Jill Giacomini said.