Dairy Farmers of America

{{Merge from|Milk Case|discuss=Talk:Dairy Farmers of America#Proposed merge of Milk Case into Dairy Farmers of America|date=May 2025}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Dairy Farmers of America Inc.

| logo = DFAprimarylogo.png

| logo_size = 200

| caption =

| type = Private

| genre =

| predecessor = Associated Milk Producers, Inc.; Mid-America Dairymen, Inc.; Milk Marketing, Inc.; and Western Dairymen Cooperative, Inc.

| successor =

| foundation = {{Start date and age|1998}}

| founder =

| defunct =

| location_city = Kansas City, Kansas

| location_country = United States

| locations =

| area_served =

| key_people = Dennis Rodenbaugh (president and CEO)

| industry = Agriculture

| products =

| services =

| revenue = {{down}} US$13.6 billion {{small|(2018)}}
{{up}} US$14.7 billion {{small|(2017)}}{{Cite web|title=Dairy Farmers of America: global net sales 2018|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/805016/dairy-farmers-of-america-dairy-product-net-sale-value/|website=Statista|language=en}}

| revenue_year =

| operating_income =

| net_income = {{Increase}} US$131.8 million

| net_income_year = 2016

| assets =

| equity =

| members =

| num_employees = 18,000

| parent =

| divisions =

| homepage = {{URL|https://www.dfamilk.com/|dfamilk.com}}

| footnotes =

| intl =

}}

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.{{cite web|title=DFA Reports Record Profits - Dairy Farmers of America|url=http://www.dfamilk.com/newsroom/press-releases/dfa-reports-record-profits|url-status=dead|website=www.dfamilk.com|accessdate=6 February 2019|archive-date=7 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181207211905/http://www.dfamilk.com/newsroom/press-releases/dfa-reports-record-profits}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.herald-journal.com/farmhorizons/1998/midam.html|title=Farm Horizons: Merger of four co-ops includes Mid-America Dairymen|website=www.herald-journal.com|accessdate=6 February 2019}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.dfamilk.com/newsroom/press-releases/dairylea-members-approve-merger-dfa|title=Dairylea Members Approve Merger with DFA|publisher=Dairy Farmers of America|access-date=6 February 2019|archive-date=7 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207015912/http://www.dfamilk.com/newsroom/press-releases/dairylea-members-approve-merger-dfa|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SL&p_theme=sl&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB05176F69FD5F4&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=St. Louis Post-Dispatch Newspaper Archives|website=nl.newsbank.com|accessdate=6 February 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/342914426|title=DALLAS FIRM PLANS TO BUY SHENANDOAH'S PRIDE DAIRY|publisher=|access-date=6 February 2019|id={{ProQuest|342914426}} |url-access=registration}}{{cite web|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SA&p_theme=sa&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAFEE2C02244E13&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Archive Search - PressDemocrat.com - The Press-Democrat - Santa Rosa, CA|website=nl.newsbank.com|accessdate=6 February 2019}} Its headquarters from 1998 until 2017 was near Kansas City International Airport in Kansas City, Missouri.{{Cite web|last=O'Neill|first=Lily|date=June 7, 2017|title=Dairy Farmers of America Opens the Doors of its New Kansas Headquarters|url=https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/article154988729.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170608050009/http://www.kansascity.com/news/business/article154988729.html |archive-date=2017-06-08 |access-date=|website=The Kansas City Star}}

In 2011, DFA acquired Kemps of St. Paul, Minnesota, and its subsidiaries from HP Hood.[http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2011/04/15/dairy-farmers-of-america-buys-kemps.html Kansas City Business Journal - Dairy Farmers of America will become owner of Kemps (April 15, 2011)], Retrieved Apr. 23, 2015. In 2014, DFA acquired Oakhurst,{{cite web|url=http://www.dfamilk.com/newsroom/press-releases/oakhurst-acquired-farmer-owned-cooperative|title=Oakhurst Acquired by a Farmer Owned Cooperative - Dairy Farmers of America|website=www.dfamilk.com|accessdate=6 February 2019|archive-date=7 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207020025/http://www.dfamilk.com/newsroom/press-releases/oakhurst-acquired-farmer-owned-cooperative|url-status=dead}} and Dairylea Cooperative Inc. merged with the farmer-owned Cooperative. DFA became the sole owner of America Buys kemps in 2015,{{cite web|url=http://www.dfamilk.com/newsroom/press-releases/dairy-farmers-america-acquires-sole-ownership-dairiconcepts|title=Dairy Farmers of America acquires sole ownership of DairiConcepts - Dairy Farmers of America|website=www.dfamilk.com|accessdate=6 February 2019|archive-date=7 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207015248/http://www.dfamilk.com/newsroom/press-releases/dairy-farmers-america-acquires-sole-ownership-dairiconcepts|url-status=dead}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.dfamilk.com/newsroom/press-releases/dfa-acquires-cumberland-dairy|title=DFA Acquires Cumberland Dairy - Dairy Farmers of America|website=www.dfamilk.com|accessdate=6 February 2019|archive-date=7 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207015558/http://www.dfamilk.com/newsroom/press-releases/dfa-acquires-cumberland-dairy|url-status=dead}}

In February 2020, DFA agreed to buy 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.{{Cite web|date=|title=DFA completes $433M acquisition, with feds' blessing|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2020/05/04/dfa-completes-433m-dean-foods-acquisition.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125044758/https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2020/05/04/dfa-completes-433m-dean-foods-acquisition.html |archive-date=2022-01-25 |access-date=2020-09-03|website=Business Journal|last1=Kaberline|first1=Brian}}

Brands

{{For|brands acquired from Dean Foods in 2020|Dean Foods#Products}}

Arla (under license)
Fromageries Bel (under license)
Breakstone's Butter{{refn|Trademark licensed from Lactalis|group=note|name=breaks}}
Cache Valley Creamery
California Gold Dairy Products
Cass-Clay Creamery
Craigs Station Creamery
Dairy Maid Dairy
Falfurrias
Guida's Dairy
Hotel Bar
Keller's Creamery
Kemps
La Vaquita
Live Real Farms
Meadow Gold
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.{{cite web|url=https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/pr5584-08|title=Dairy Farmers of America settles with CFTC|website=www.cftc.gov}}