Dairy Farmers of America

Dairy Farmers of America Inc. (DFA) is a national milk marketing cooperative in the United States. DFA markets members' raw milk and sells milk and derivative products (dairy products, food components, ingredients and shelf-stable 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.[2]

Dairy Farmers of America
TypeAgricultural marketing cooperative
IndustryAgriculture
PredecessorAssociated Milk Producers, Inc.; Mid-America Dairymen, Inc.; Milk Marketing, Inc.; and Western Dairymen Cooperative, Inc.
Founded1998 (1998)
Headquarters
Kansas City, Kansas
,
United States
Key people
Dennis Rodenbaugh (President and CEO)
RevenueDecrease US$13.6 billion (2018)
Increase US$14.7 billion (2017)[1]
Increase US$131.8 million (2016)
Number of employees
18,000
Websitedfamilk.com

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.[3] 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.[4][5][6][7] Its headquarters from 1998 until 2017 was near Kansas City International Airport in Kansas City, Missouri.[8]

In 2011, DFA acquired Kemps of St. Paul, Minnesota, and its subsidiaries from HP Hood.[9] In 2014, DFA acquired Oakhurst,[10] and Dairylea Cooperative Inc. merged with the farmer-owned Cooperative. DFA became the sole owner of America Buys kemps in 2015,[11] 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.[12]

In February 2020, DFA agreed to buy a "substantial" part of Dean Foods, 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.[13]

Brands
For brands related to the acquisition of Dean Foods in 2020, see Dean Foods § Products.
  • Arla (under licensed)
  • Fromageries Bel (under licensed)
  • Breakstone's Butter [note 1]
  • 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
  1. Trademark licensed from Lactalis

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.[14]

See also

References
  1. "Dairy Farmers of America: global net sales 2018". Statista.
  2. "DFA Reports Record Profits - Dairy Farmers of America". www.dfamilk.com. Archived from the original on 7 December 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  3. "Farm Horizons: Merger of four co-ops includes Mid-America Dairymen". www.herald-journal.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  4. "Dairylea Members Approve Merger with DFA - Dairy Farmers of America". www.dfamilk.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  5. "St. Louis Post-Dispatch Newspaper Archives". nl.newsbank.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  6. "DALLAS FIRM PLANS TO BUY SHENANDOAH'S PRIDE DAIRY". Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  7. "Archive Search - PressDemocrat.com - The Press-Democrat - Santa Rosa, CA". nl.newsbank.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  8. O'Neill, Lily (June 7, 2017). "Dairy Farmers of America Opens the Doors of its New Kansas Headquarters". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on 2017-06-08.
  9. Kansas City Business Journal - Dairy Farmers of America will become owner of Kemps (April 15, 2011), Retrieved Apr. 23, 2015.
  10. "Oakhurst Acquired by a Farmer Owned Cooperative - Dairy Farmers of America". www.dfamilk.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  11. "Dairy Farmers of America acquires sole ownership of DairiConcepts - Dairy Farmers of America". www.dfamilk.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  12. "DFA Acquires Cumberland Dairy - Dairy Farmers of America". www.dfamilk.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  13. "DFA completes $433M acquisition, with feds' blessing". www.bizjournals.com. Archived from the original on 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  14. "Dairy Farmers of America settles with CFTC". www.cftc.gov.
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