Our passion

Farming isn’t easy. And it’s certainly not for those who enjoy regularly sleeping in. But for our family farmers, the privilege of caring for the land and the reward of nourishing our world makes it all worth it. For us, integrity, community, innovation and quality aren’t just words, but a set of standards we live by in order to bring your family the high-quality dairy you love.
Male farmer smilingMale farmer smiling

Our passion

Farming isn’t easy. And it’s certainly not for those who enjoy regularly sleeping in. But for our family farmers, the privilege of caring for the land and the reward of nourishing our world makes it all worth it. For us, integrity, community, innovation and quality aren’t just words, but a set of standards we live by in order to bring your family the high-quality dairy you love.

Deliver Value to Our Family Farm-Owners as a Leading Global Dairy Cooperative

Our mission
The family farmers who own Dairy Farmers of America are all united in their shared passion for dairy, and at the same time, all have different needs. As an organization, we deliver value to our family farms so they can continue to thrive for generations.

Enriching Communities and Consumers' Lives Through All the Possibilities of Dairy

Our Vision
We are a purpose-driven organization, starting with providing the world with nature's most perfect food: milk. Our cooperative brings opportunities for rural communities to thrive, shares nourishment with those in need, preserves our natural resources and fuels many of life's greatest memories. 
Cows in pastureCows in pasture

Our values

Integrity

We act ethically in all matters without exception.

Passion

We are passionate about the land we are charged to protect, the animals we care for, the employees we work with, our Cooperative and the communities we serve. This passion fuels us to be the best at what we do — delivering all the possibilities of dairy to our neighbors down the road and around the world.

Quality

We are committed to quality – the quality of our farms, our plants, our products, our brands, our services and our way of doing business. 

Community

We are a community of American family farmers and employees bound by our shared values. We understand our impact on society and our role as part of the billion-person-strong global dairy community. This connection inspires us to be an integral part of all the communities we touch, starting with the local towns where we live, work and raise our families, to those communities we reach with our products.

Our Heritage

A mark of growth

We're grounded in our farmer ownership and are always looking for new ways to grow and invest that will benefit our family farmers. Today, DFA's more than 10,000 dairy farmers produce the ingredients for cheese, butter, ice cream, fluid milk and more under well-known, quality national and regional brands. So, no matter where you are in the country, one of our local family farms is bringing you delicious dairy.
Farmers with cowsFarmers with cows

A mark of the future

Grounded in farmer ownership, DFA is a global food Cooperative focused on quality, innovation and the future. Our reach is international, but it all starts local. Our organization is here to support all of our family farms so they have the resources and tools they need to keep putting high-quality dairy on your table.
People eating ice creamPeople eating ice cream

A mark of vision

By 1996, the dairy industry was changing rapidly. The old way of doing dairy just wasn’t keeping up with the demand, so leaders from four of the nation’s leading milk organizations – Associated Milk Producers, Inc., Mid-America Dairymen, Inc., Milk Marketing, Inc. and Western Dairymen Cooperative, Inc. – decided to move forward. They created a new, more efficient organization to provide resources and support to family farms of all sizes, and on Jan. 1, 1998, DFA was formed.
Family on the farmFamily on the farm