Dairy Farmers of America

What Dairy Farmers of America does

Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) is a farmer-owned dairy cooperative headquartered in Kansas City that aggregates milk from approximately 9,000 family dairy farmers across roughly 5,000 dairy farms and processes it through a network of more than 80 manufacturing plants. The cooperative produces fluid milk, cheese, butter, ice cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, and flavored dairy products marketed under 35+ regional and national consumer brands including Borden Cheese, DairyPure, Kemps, TruMoo, Plugrà Premium Butter, Meadow Gold, and Friendly's. DFA also sells dairy-based ingredients (AMPLIFI dairy concentrates, Reaction Dairy milkfat concentrate, bulk cheese and butter formats) and packaging solutions (Extended Shelf-Life, aseptic, and retort packaging technologies) to food manufacturers and foodservice operators, while exporting more than 30 forms of dairy products to over 60 countries.

DFA's revenue model combines B2C branded retail sales (through grocery, convenience, and gas channels including a Walmart-exclusive launch of MULU high-protein cottage cheese), B2B ingredients and packaging services via dedicated field sales teams, foodservice distribution, government school milk contracts, and grant-funded sustainability programs. Consumer pricing is unit-based at retail (e.g., MULU at $4.26 for 16 oz, Borden dips at $4.99 for 12 oz), while B2B ingredient contracts are quote-based with private label and co-manufacturing services. Innovation emphasizes high-protein positioning (MULU, TruMoo Protein with 13g protein, Kemps Protein+ Lactose-Free) and functional dairy, alongside specialty Hispanic cheese capacity acquired via the 2025 purchase of W&W Dairy in Wisconsin.

The cooperative operates an integrated supply chain maintaining products within approximately 300 miles of consumption and holds SQF Level 3 food safety certifications across manufacturing facilities since 2009. Technology partnerships with Microsoft (Azure, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Azure OpenAI Service), SAP, and OpenText have delivered enterprise compliance and document management capabilities with reported 10x system reliability improvements. Sustainability programs include anaerobic digesters reducing 782,500 metric tons of carbon emissions annually, water recycling practices across 47% of farmer-owners, and up to $45 million in USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding. DFA is led by President and CEO Dennis Rodenbaugh, with Randy Mooney serving as Chairman of the Board representing the cooperative's farmer-leaders.

Name

Dairy Farmers of America

Legal name

Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.

Website

https://dfamilk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Dairy Farmers of America is a farmer-owned dairy cooperative that aggregates milk from 9,000 family farms and manufactures branded consumer dairy products, B2B ingredients, and specialty dairy for retail, foodservice, food manufacturing, and export markets across 60+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Products Manufacturing

NAICS

Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151), Dairy Product (except Dried or Canned) Merchant Wholesalers (424430)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Dairy Spreads, Dips & Cream Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dairy Ingredients (Whey, Lactose, Milk Powders) Wholesale (AFAIAEAG), Butter & Cultured Dairy (Yogurt, Sour Cream, Kefir) Wholesale (AFAIAEAB)

Keywords

• Dairy cooperative
• Fluid milk production
• Cheese manufacturing
• Dairy ingredients supply
• Butter production

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Dairy Products: Sale of consumer dairy products through retail channels including fluid milk, cheese, butter, ice cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, and flavored milk under multiple regional and national brands (Borden Cheese, DairyPure, Kemps, TruMoo, Plugrà, and 35+ others) distributed nationwide.
2. Ingredients & Packaging Solutions: B2B sale of dairy ingredients including specialty powders, cheese concentrates, butter products, and packaging solutions to food manufacturers and foodservice companies. Includes co-manufacturing and private label services.
3. Sustainable Agriculture Funding: Government funding from USDA for climate-smart dairy initiatives including methane reduction, soil carbon sequestration, and development of low-carbon dairy products as part of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program.
4. Foodservice Distribution: Supply of dairy products to foodservice operators including restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, and institutional foodservice providers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Dairy Farmers of America is a farmer-owned cooperative that produces, processes, and markets a full portfolio of dairy products under 35+ consumer brands (Borden Cheese, DairyPure, Kemps, TruMoo, Plugrà, Meadow Gold, Friendly's, and others) including fluid milk, cheese, butter, ice cream, yogurt, and cottage cheese. It also operates a B2B ingredients and packaging solutions business supplying dairy concentrates, specialty bulk cheese and butter, and advanced packaging technologies (ESL, aseptic, retort) to food manufacturers and foodservice operators. The cooperative sources milk from approximately 9,000 family farmer-owners across the United States and operates 80+ manufacturing plants.

Product overview

Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) is a farmer-owned cooperative offering a diversified portfolio of dairy products and services. The core offering centers on milk produced by 9,000+ family farmer-owners, which is then manufactured into consumer-branded products and industrial ingredients. The consumer products portfolio includes 38 regional dairy brands (such as DairyPure®, Borden® Cheese, TruMoo®, Kemps®, Plugrà® Premium Butter, and 34 others) spanning fluid milk, cheese, butter, ice cream, yogurt, and specialty dairy products. DFA also operates a significant ingredients and packaging solutions business that provides dairy concentrates (AMPLIFI®), specialty cheese and butter for foodservice/food manufacturing, and advanced packaging technologies including Extended Shelf-Life (ESL), aseptic, and retort packaging. The portfolio includes innovative products like Milk50 (reduced-calorie milk), high-protein offerings (MULU cottage cheese, TruMoo® Protein), and Hispanic cheese specialties. The company operates dairy manufacturing plants and facilities across the United States, exporting more than 30 forms of dairy products to 60+ countries worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Borden Cheese: Cheese brand with over 150 years of tradition, crafting delectable cheeses using fresh, wholesome milk.
• DairyPure
• TruMoo Protein
• Kemps
• Plugrà Premium Butter
• Milk50
• MULU

Products and services

• Borden® Cheese Cheese products built on 150+ years of tradition, crafted using fresh wholesome milk from DFA farmer-owners; includes shredded, sliced, block, and string cheese plus a 2026 refrigerated dip line for retail consumers.
• DairyPure®

Quantifiable outcome

• DFA farmer-owners produce milk within 300 miles of consumption, reducing transportation carbon footprint
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Kansas City CurrentminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 March 2026Multi-year partnership renewal promoting sustainability and community initiatives in Kansas City. Partnership includes dairy donation drives, in-stadium signage, and media collaborations. DFA continues to source butter ingredients for the partnership within CPKC Stadium.
• Innovation Center for U.S. DairycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFA is a member of the Innovation Center's Dairy Sustainability Alliance and participates in industry-wide sustainability initiatives. DFA President and CEO Dennis Rodenbaugh serves as board chair. The organization was built by dairy farmers to unite industry leaders around shared priorities.
• U.S. Dairy Stewardship Commitment PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFA farmers support the U.S. Dairy Stewardship Commitment, working with SAI Platform, Newtrient, MyFarms, National Milk Producers Federation, and Global Dairy Platform to advance dairy sustainability practices.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Land O'Lakes: Land O'Lakes is the largest US agricultural cooperative, including the nation's #1 dairy foods manufacturer with approximately 22-23% market share of US dairy manufacturing sales. Like DFA, it is a farmer-owned cooperative, but it is roughly 3-4x larger in dairy manufacturing sales and operates butter, cheese, and dairy ingredients at greater scale.
• Prairie Farms Dairy: Prairie Farms is a farmer-owned dairy cooperative operating fluid milk, ice cream, and cultured products across the Midwest and South. Like DFA, it is structured as a farmer-owned cooperative with regional brands and member-farmers, though it is significantly smaller in scale and geographic reach.
• Associated Milk Producers: AMPI is a dairy marketing cooperative owned by dairy farmer-members in the Upper Midwest, operating fluid milk, cheese, butter, and dairy ingredients manufacturing. Comparable to DFA as a farmer-owned cooperative with B2B dairy ingredients and consumer products, though smaller and more regionally concentrated.
• California Dairies Inc. California Dairies Inc. is the largest dairy processing cooperative in California, producing butter, milk powder, cheese, and fluid milk. It is a direct peer to DFA as a farmer-owned cooperative, focused on California's large-scale dairy farms and export markets for dairy ingredients.
• Schreiber Foods: Schreiber Foods is a major dairy processor and supplier of cheese, cream, and dairy ingredients to foodservice operators and food manufacturers globally. It is comparable to DFA's B2B ingredients and foodservice business, though structured as a private employee-owned company rather than a farmer cooperative.
• Agropur: Agropur is a Canadian dairy cooperative with significant US operations, producing cheese, butter, milk ingredients, and yogurt. It is comparable to DFA as a farmer-owned cooperative with cross-border operations and a broad B2B/retail product portfolio.
• Hilmar Cheese Company: Hilmar Cheese is a major US cheese manufacturer producing cheddar, Monterey Jack, and dairy ingredients for foodservice and food manufacturing customers. Comparable to DFA's cheese manufacturing and bulk ingredient operations, though privately held and focused primarily on cheese.
• Foremost Farms USA: Foremost Farms is a farmer-owned dairy cooperative producing cheese, butter, milk powder, and dairy ingredients across the Midwest. Direct peer to DFA as a farmer-owned cooperative with B2B cheese and ingredients focus, though smaller in scale and primarily regional.
• Dean Foods: Dean Foods was historically the largest US fluid milk processor before its 2019 bankruptcy and subsequent asset sales. Multiple former Dean Foods plants and brands (including DairyPure) were acquired by DFA, making it a historical direct peer in US fluid milk processing and retail dairy distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Saputo: Saputo is one of the largest dairy processors globally, with major US operations including cheese, fluid milk, and dairy ingredients. It is a publicly traded multinational and the largest dairy processor in Canada, comparable to DFA in scope of product portfolio but with broader international reach and investor-owned structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dfamilk
• Facebookfacebook.com/dfamilk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dairy-farmers-of-america
• Instagraminstagram.com/dfamilk

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dairy Farmers of America