Dairy Farmers of America Inc. (DFA) is a national
milk
Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modula ...
marketing
cooperative
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-contro ...
in the United States. DFA markets members' raw milk and sells milk and derivative products (
dairy products
Dairy products or milk products, also known as lacticinia, are food products made from (or containing) milk. The most common dairy animals are cow, water buffalo, nanny goat, and ewe. Dairy products include common grocery store food items in ...
, food components, ingredients and
shelf-stable
Shelf-stable food (sometimes ambient food) is food of a type that can be safely stored at room temperature in a sealed container. This includes foods that would normally be stored refrigerated but which have been processed so that they can be s ...
dairy products) to wholesale buyers both domestically and abroad. Net sales in 2016 were $13.5 billion, representing about 22 percent of raw milk production in the United States.
History
DFA was formed in 1998 through the merger of four dairy cooperatives: the Southern region of Associated Milk Producers Inc.; Mid-America Dairymen Inc.; Milk Marketing Inc.; and Western Dairymen Cooperative Inc. Since then, five other cooperatives have become a part of DFA – Independent Cooperative Milk Producers Association, Valley of Virginia Milk Producers Association, California Cooperative Creamery, Black Hills Milk Producers and Dairylea Cooperative Inc. Its headquarters from 1998 until 2017 was near
Kansas City International Airport in
Kansas City, Missouri.
In 2011, DFA acquired
Kemps of
St. Paul, Minnesota, and its subsidiaries from
HP Hood.
[Kansas City Business Journal - ''Dairy Farmers of America will become owner of Kemps'' (April 15, 2011)](_blank)
Retrieved Apr. 23, 2015. In 2014, DFA acquired Oakhurst, and Dairylea Cooperative Inc. merged with the farmer-owned Cooperative. DFA became the sole owner of DairiConcepts in 2015, which was once a partnership between DFA and Fonterra Co-operative Group Unlimited. DFA also acquired Cumberland Dairy, a processor of ultra-pasteurized dairy products, in 2017.
In February 2020, DFA agreed to buy a “substantial” part of
Dean Foods
Dean Foods was an American food and beverage company and the largest dairy company in the United States. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the company maintained plants and distributors in the United States. Dean Foods had 66 manufacturing faciliti ...
, the largest U.S. milk producer, for $433 million. As part of the deal, DFA would acquire 44 of Dean's plants. In May 2020 that deal was finalized and the acquisition was completed.
Brands
*
Arla (under licensed)
*
Fromageries Bel (under licensed)
* Breakstone's Butter
* Cache Valley Creamery
* California Gold Dairy Products
* Cass Clay
* Craigs Station Creamery
* Dairy Maid Dairy
* Falfurrias
* Guida's Dairy
* Hotel Bar
* Keller's Creamery
*
Kemps
* La Vaquita
* Live Real Farms
*
Oakhurst
*
Plugrá
* Sport Shake
;Notes
Commodity price manipulation issues
In 2008, the Dairy Farmers of America and two former executives agreed to pay $12 million to settle
Commodity Futures Trading Commission charges for attempting to manipulate the Class III milk futures contract and exceeding speculative position limits in that contract.
See also
*
List of dairy product companies in the United States
This is a list of dairy product companies in the United States. A dairy product is food produced from the milk of mammals. Dairy products are usually high energy-yielding food products. A production plant for the processing of milk is called a dair ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dairy Farmers Of America
American companies established in 1998
Food and drink companies established in 1998
1998 establishments in Missouri
Agricultural cooperatives in the United States
Agricultural marketing cooperatives
Companies based in Kansas City, Missouri
Dairy products companies of the United States
Borden (company)