U.S. national milk marketing cooperative
Dairy Farmers of America |
| Company type | Agricultural marketing cooperative |
|---|
| Industry | Agriculture |
|---|
| Predecessor | Associated Milk Producers, Inc.; Mid-America Dairymen, Inc.; Milk Marketing, Inc.; and Western Dairymen Cooperative, Inc. |
|---|
| Founded | 1998; 26 years ago (1998) |
|---|
| Headquarters | , United States |
|---|
Key people | Dennis Rodenbaugh (President and CEO) |
|---|
| Revenue |  US$13.6 billion (2018)
 US$14.7 billion (2017)[1] |
|---|
| US$131.8 million (2016) |
|---|
Number of employees | 18,000 |
|---|
| Website | dfamilk.com |
|---|
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]
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]
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]
