Milk's journey from our farms to your table

Caring for the herd is only part of the story. From milk quality to environmental stewardship and more, DFA farmer-owners meet high standards to keep their operations running responsibly and sustainably.

Cows and calves are the heart of the farm. From the quality of their feed to the routine health care they receive from veterinarians and nutritionists, our farmer-owners' herds stay in top shape so they can keep producing high-quality milk.

It takes knowledge (and a lot of practice) to understand, care for, and properly handle dairy cows. From the intricacies of milking to understanding just what their cows need, our farmer-owners are true experts — some might even call them cow whisperers.

With over 9,000 farmer-owners in our Cooperative, we're producing milk and making dairy products in nearly every U.S. state. Explore our locations — including our dairy manufacturing plants and offices — to see where we're working every day. And who knows? We might even be neighbors.

Whether with milking machines in a conventional parlor or a fully automated milking system, milking the cows takes place multiple times a day. Each cow makes about 8 gallons of milk, amounting to hundreds of gallons produced by nightfall. When it comes to the practice of milking, DFA's Gold Standard Dairy Program helps ensure that milk coming from DFA’s farmer-owners is safe, nutritious, and of the highest quality.

After the cows are milked, the raw milk is stored in bulk tanks — these are large, insulated vessels that keep milk cold and fresh. The milk is chilled quickly and kept cold at less than 38 F until the milk truck comes to pick it up on the next step of its journey.

High-quality milk and safe handling go hand in hand — and it all starts on the farm. DFA farms have strict protocols on milking practices, testing, and regulatory measures. They also have high standards of cleanliness for cows and their facilities, because clean cows are well-cared for cows.

Part semi-truck, part giant thermos, our milk trucks have insulated stainless steel tanks that are cleaned and sanitized daily and keep milk cold on its journey. The tanks can hold an average of 80,000 pounds of milk per load! With fuel-efficient engines and renewable fuel sources, transporting milk never looked so sustainable. Our milk trucks feature advanced monitoring systems that track the milk's temperature and are regularly inspected to ensure they meet all the hygiene and safety standards required for transporting milk.

Before milk ever leaves the farm, it’s evaluated to ensure it meets DFA’s and regulatory standards. Haulers are specially trained to inspect the milk with their eyes and nose first — you could say they're the sommeliers of milk. They then take samples from the bulk tanks, which will be used to analyze the milk's properties like butterfat and protein content. Constant monitoring and analyzing is critical to ensuring a healthy and safe final product.

Once the raw milk passes all tests and standards, it’s then transferred from the bulk tanks into the milk truck. Then, after a quick chat with the farmer and petting the farm dog, the hauler waves goodbye and hits the open road. They'll make a few more stops at other neighboring farms to collect their milk, too. Once the tanker is full, they'll head to the dairy manufacturing plant to unload.

Once the hauler reaches the dairy manufacturing plant, the milk is tested and analyzed. This ensures that the milk is still viable before unloading it in the plant's storage tanks.

Ever wonder how your favorite dairy products are made? Each one goes through a series of carefully controlled steps designed with quality and safety in mind. It all starts with pasteurization — heating raw milk to destroy any harmful bacteria, all while retaining its nutritional value. From there, the processes depend on what the milk is destined to become. If it’s headed for cheese, we add cultures to begin the cheesemaking process. If it’s being made into skim milk powder, the milk is sent through a drying machine. For butter, the milk goes on to be churned. Across the country, our dairy manufacturing plants are equipped to handle these unique processes — each one focused on delivering the highest-quality dairy products to your table.

Milk is an amazing food and the foundation of many delicious, nutritious dairy products. We produce whole, 2%, 1%, skim, and, of course, flavors like chocolate and strawberry. Once processed, it’s packaged for you to enjoy. To make cheese, we curdle milk with cultures, then press and age the curds into favorites like cheddar and mozzarella. Butter is made by churning cream until the fat molecules clump together, creating butter as a result. Yogurt starts with milk and live cultures that turn lactose into lactic acid, giving it a thick textures and tangy flavor. Ice cream blends cream, milk, sugar, and flavors into the perfect chilled treat. We also make specialty ingredients like powdered cheese, a variety of milk powders, and other dairy flavors with a drying process.

Once our products are crafted, they're ready to be packed and labeled. No matter the product, our packaging ensures each item stays fresh. This also involves labeling our products with sell by or expiration dates — to ensure you're always enjoying the freshest dairy. We're always innovating our packaging and processing technologies, like producing shelf-stable milk for easy grab-and-go enjoyment or ultra-filtering our milk to concentrate protein and reduce sugar for even more benefits you love. By investing in innovation, we continue creating dairy products that are as convenient as they are nutritious.

Fresh dairy products are delivered into a network of distribution centers and grocery stores. Once we drop off our deliveries, our partners at these locations stock their shelves and fridges with fresh products. Soon, you're buying them at the grocery store or enjoying them in a dish at your favorite restaurant.

Our distribution trucks are equipped with freezers or refrigerators that keep our packaged products at a consistent temperature during transit. Even if our drivers hit every red light on their journey, these technologies are still working — making sure each one of our dairy products stays fresh, tasty, and safe to consume.

Our products stay close-to-home from the farm to your fridge — within 300 miles to be exact. With farms and dairy processing plants from coast to coast, there's a complex network of suppliers and distributors working in each corner of the country to deliver fresh dairy. When you pick up a bottle of DFA farmer-owned brand DairyPure® milk in Colorado or Plugrà® Premium Butter in California, you can know that it was made by local family dairy farmers.

The DFA farmer-owned brands you see in the store are only a portion of what we do. We also provide dairy to food service and food manufacturing customers, like restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, food companies, and so many more. So, when you get cream in your to-go coffee or order a salad with extra cheese, you're still enjoying — and supporting — the hard work of thousands of DFA farmers and employees. Our farmer-owners' milk can take shape and form in many ways and we're proud to share them at home and around the world.

We proudly deliver high-quality and delicious dairy through DFA farmer-owned brands like Borden® Cheese, DairyPure®, Plugrà® Premium Butter, and TruMoo®.

When you pick up a DFA farmer-owned product, you know you're serving your family the highest-quality dairy. Try one of our brands in your state to experience the difference for yourself.