Upstate Farms

What Upstate Farms does

Upstate Farms is the consumer-facing brand of UNC Dairy, which operates as Upstate Niagara Cooperative, a dairy cooperative founded in 1964 and owned by over 360 multi-generational family farms across New York and Pennsylvania. The cooperative employs more than 1,800 people and runs seven specialized manufacturing facilities producing fluid products (milk, cream, half-and-half, buttermilk, orange juice, single-serve drinks, ice cream mix), cultured products (yogurt, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, sour-cream-based dips), and specialty dairy beverages, all from raw milk supplied by member farmers.

The cooperative's product portfolio spans six registered brands: Upstate Farms (core retail fresh milk across NY/PA/Atlantic Northeast), Bison (French Onion Dip distributed nationally via DTC e-commerce), Intense Milk (indulgent flavored milk), Valley Farms (wholesome retail dairy), O-AT-KA (co-manufacturing and R&D partnership arm for large beverage manufacturers), and Milk for Life (lactose-free line). Manufacturing is organized into specialized facilities by product category, with fluid/ice cream plants in Buffalo, Williamsport, and Syracuse, cultured/yogurt facilities in West Seneca, North Lawrence, and Batavia, and the O-AT-KA innovation facility in Batavia.

Revenue is generated through four streams: retail dairy sales to consumers across the Atlantic Northeast, foodservice distribution to operators via dedicated portal and DSD routes, direct-to-consumer e-commerce for Bison Dip across the contiguous US, and beverage co-manufacturing partnerships through O-AT-KA. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The cooperative's 2025 World Dairy Expo awards (First Place for Strawberry Greek Nonfat Yogurt and Second Place in three additional categories) are the most recent publicly documented commercial milestone.

Name

Upstate Farms

Legal name

UNC Dairy

Website

https://upstatefarms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Upstate Farms is the retail brand of Upstate Niagara Cooperative, a 1964-founded dairy cooperative owned by 360+ NY/PA family farms operating seven manufacturing facilities and 1,800+ employees to produce fluid, cultured, yogurt, and dairy-beverage products for retail, foodservice, beverage co-manufacturing, and DTC channels.

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), Fluid Milk Manufacturing (311511)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Yogurt & Cultured Dairy Products Manufacturing (Kefir, Sour Cream, Labneh) (AFAKAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dairy-Based Beverages Manufacturing (Flavored Milk, Lassi, Drinkable Yogurt) (AFAKAKAH), Dairy Spreads, Dips & Cream Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAL), Yogurt & Cultured Dairy (Yogurt, Kefir, Sour Cream, Cottage Cheese) (CRADACAB)

Keywords

• Dairy products manufacturing
• Fluid milk bottling
• Cultured dairy products
• Foodservice dairy supply
• Cooperative dairy farming

Headquarters

HQ city

Tivoli

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Dairy Products: Sells fresh dairy products including milk, yogurt, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, and ice cream through retail stores across New York, Pennsylvania, and Atlantic Northeast
2. Foodservice Distribution: Provides high-quality dairy products to businesses, operators, and foodservice customers through dedicated foodservice portal and distribution
3. E-commerce Direct Sales: Ships Bison branded products (French Onion Dip) directly to consumers across contiguous United States
4. Beverage Manufacturing Partnership: O-AT-KA works with large beverage manufacturers to launch innovative dairy-based products

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Upstate Farms manufactures and distributes packaged dairy products — including fluid milk, yogurt, cultured products (sour cream, cottage cheese), and dairy-based dips — under multiple consumer brands owned by Upstate Niagara Cooperative. The company sells these products through retail grocery, a foodservice distribution channel for restaurants and institutions, and an industrial ingredients channel for food and beverage manufacturers. It also operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront for retail customers, supported by refrigerated direct-store-delivery logistics.

Product overview

Upstate Farms is part of the Upstate Niagara Cooperative, a multi-generational dairy cooperative offering a portfolio of premium dairy products under multiple brands. The product portfolio includes Upstate Farms® fresh milk serving the Atlantic Northeast; Bison® Dip (award-winning French Onion Dip available for direct online shipping); Intense® Milk for indulgent flavor experiences; Upstate Farms Foodservice for business customers; O-AT-KA® Milk Products for beverage manufacturer partnerships and innovation; and Valley Farms for fresh, wholesome dairy. The cooperative operates multiple manufacturing facilities producing fluid products (milk, cream, juice, buttermilk, ice cream mixes), cultured products (yogurt, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream), and specialized dairy-based beverages. The company also offers lactose-free options under the Milk for Life® brand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Intense Milk: Premium dairy brand featuring indulgent flavored milk products
• Upstate Farms Foodservice
• Upstate Farms
• Bison Foods
• O-AT-KA Milk Products
• Valley Farms

Products and services

• Fluid Milk (Upstate Farms brand) Packaged fluid white milk and flavored milk sold under the Upstate Farms brand in retail grocery and direct-to-consumer channels, sourced from cooperative member farms.
• Yogurt and Cultured Products (Upstate Farms brand portfolio) Yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, and other cultured dairy products produced by Upstate Niagara Cooperative and sold under the Upstate Farms label family through retail and foodservice channels.
• Dairy Dips Creamy dairy-based dips (e.g., sour cream and yogurt-based dips) sold under Upstate Farms and associated cooperative brands through grocery retail and foodservice channels.
• Cooperative Brand Portfolio (multi-brand dairy products) A multi-brand portfolio of dairy products produced by Upstate Niagara Cooperative, with Upstate Farms serving as a flagship consumer label alongside other brands within the cooperative.
• Foodservice Dairy Supply Bulk and foodservice-pack dairy products (fluid milk, cultured products, dips) sold to restaurants, schools, hospitals, and other institutional foodservice operators via a dedicated foodservice portal.
• Industrial Dairy Ingredients Ingredient-grade dairy products supplied to food and beverage manufacturers for use in manufactured finished products, sold on a contract/B2B basis.
• Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce Storefront Brand-operated online storefront enabling consumers to purchase Upstate Farms dairy products directly for home delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• Award-winning dairy products recognized at 2025 World Dairy Expo including First Place for Strawberry Greek Nonfat Yogurt

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Member FarmerscoreOthersMulti-generational family farm owners who are members of the Upstate Niagara Cooperative. These farmers work together for mutual benefit, focusing on sustainability, quality, and community. The cooperative provides members with support, practices, and resources needed to produce highest quality milk.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chobani: New-York-based Greek yogurt and dairy category leader with strong presence in the very Greek-yogurt and cultured SKUs where Upstate Farms won 2025 World Dairy Expo awards; competes for the same retail shelf space and consumer mindshare.
• Dairy Farmers of America (DFA): Largest U.S. dairy farmer cooperative operating fluid milk, cultured, ingredients, and foodservice manufacturing on a national scale. Direct structural peer as a farmer-owned cooperative, but with vastly greater scale and geographic reach.
• HP Hood (Hood Dairy): Lactalis-owned dairy processor with concentrated presence in the Northeast U.S., producing fluid milk, cream, cultured products, ice cream, and dairy-based beverages for retail and foodservice — directly overlapping Upstate Farms' product mix and geographies.
• Agri-Mark / Cabot Creamery: Northeast dairy farmer-owned cooperative producing fluid milk, cultured, cheese, and dairy ingredients. Highly comparable cooperative structure, similar member-farmer base, and overlapping Atlantic Northeast retail/foodservice footprint.

Regional players

• Clover Farms (PA): Pennsylvania-based regional fluid milk and dairy processor serving retail and foodservice customers across PA and adjacent Mid-Atlantic markets, directly overlapping Upstate Farms' heartland.
• Oakhurst Dairy: Independent New England dairy processor (now part of Dairy Farmers of America) producing fluid milk, cream, and cultured products for retail and foodservice across the Northeast — directly comparable in geography, scale, and product mix.

Emerging players

• Stonyfield Farm: Organic yogurt and cultured-dairy brand now under Lactalis, competing for the same premium/quality-positioned cultured segment and lactose-conscious consumer in U.S. retail.

Broad incumbents

• Danone North America: Multinational dairy and plant-based manufacturer whose yogurt portfolio (Dannon, Oikos, Two Good) competes directly with Upstate Farms' Greek-yogurt and cultured SKUs across U.S. retail and foodservice.
• Saputo Inc. (U.S.): Global dairy manufacturer with a sizable U.S. fluid, cultured, cheese, and ingredients footprint, competing across many of the same retail and foodservice channels Upstate Farms serves.
• Lactalis American Group: U.S. arm of the global Lactalis Group, owning Stonyfield, HP Hood, and other U.S. dairy brands; competes directly in Northeast fluid, cultured, and ingredient dairy at greater scale and marketing intensity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UpstateFarms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/upstate-farms
• Xx.com/UpstateFarms

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Upstate Farms