{{Short description|U.S. national milk marketing cooperative}} {{Redirect-distinguish|Alta Dena|Altadena, California}} {{Infobox company | name = Dairy Farmers of America Inc. | logo = DFAprimarylogo.png | logo_size = 200 | caption = | type = Private | genre = | predecessor = Associated Milk Producers, Inc.; Mid-America Dairymen, Inc.; Milk Marketing, Inc.; and Western Dairymen Cooperative, Inc. | successor = | foundation = {{Start date and age|1998}} | founder = | defunct = | location_city = Kansas City, Kansas | location_country = United States | locations = | area_served = | industry = Agriculture | products = | services = | revenue = {{down}} US$13.6 billion {{small|(2018)}}<br/>{{up}} US$14.7 billion {{small|(2017)}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dairy Farmers of America: global net sales 2018|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/805016/dairy-farmers-of-america-dairy-product-net-sale-value/|website=Statista|language=en}}</ref> | revenue_year = | operating_income = | net_income = {{Increase}} US$131.8 million | net_income_year = 2016 | assets = | equity = | members = | num_employees = 18,000 | parent = | divisions = | homepage = {{URL|https://www.dfamilk.com/|dfamilk.com}} | footnotes = | intl = }} '''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.<ref>{{cite web|title=DFA Reports Record Profits - Dairy Farmers of America|url=http://www.dfamilk.com/newsroom/press-releases/dfa-reports-record-profits|url-status=dead|website=www.dfamilk.com|accessdate=6 February 2019|archive-date=7 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181207211905/http://www.dfamilk.com/newsroom/press-releases/dfa-reports-record-profits}}</ref>
==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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.herald-journal.com/farmhorizons/1998/midam.html|title=Farm Horizons: Merger of four co-ops includes Mid-America Dairymen|website=www.herald-journal.com|accessdate=6 February 2019}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dfamilk.com/newsroom/press-releases/dairylea-members-approve-merger-dfa|title=Dairylea Members Approve Merger with DFA|publisher=Dairy Farmers of America|access-date=6 February 2019|archive-date=7 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207015912/http://www.dfamilk.com/newsroom/press-releases/dairylea-members-approve-merger-dfa|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SL&p_theme=sl&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB05176F69FD5F4&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=St. Louis Post-Dispatch Newspaper Archives|website=nl.newsbank.com|accessdate=6 February 2019|archive-date=7 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207015327/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SL&p_theme=sl&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB05176F69FD5F4&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/342914426|title=DALLAS FIRM PLANS TO BUY SHENANDOAH'S PRIDE DAIRY|publisher=|access-date=6 February 2019|id={{ProQuest|342914426}} |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SA&p_theme=sa&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAFEE2C02244E13&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Archive Search - PressDemocrat.com - The Press-Democrat - Santa Rosa, CA|website=nl.newsbank.com|accessdate=6 February 2019|archive-date=7 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207020218/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SA&p_theme=sa&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAFEE2C02244E13&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|url-status=dead}}</ref> Its headquarters from 1998 until 2017 was near Kansas City International Airport in Kansas City, Missouri.<ref>{{Cite web|last=O'Neill|first=Lily|date=June 7, 2017|title=Dairy Farmers of America Opens the Doors of its New Kansas Headquarters|url=https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/article154988729.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170608050009/http://www.kansascity.com/news/business/article154988729.html |archive-date=2017-06-08 |access-date=|website=The Kansas City Star}}</ref>
===Milk case=== In 1971, the Nixon administration faced pressure from dairy producers seeking higher federal price supports for milk. These supports were crucial for stabilizing milk prices and ensuring profitability for dairy farmers. At the time, the administration was also actively fundraising for Nixon’s re-election campaign.
The '''Milk Case''' was a 1974 corruption scandal in the United States involving the administration of Richard Nixon and the secretary of the treasury John Connally. The case revolved around revelations that the Nixon campaign accepted contributions from AMPI in exchange for an increase to the federal price of milk.<ref name="i214">{{cite web | last=Naughton | first=James M. | title=Nixon Tape Is Said to Link Milk Price to Political Gift | website=The New York Times | date=1974-06-06 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/06/06/archives/nixon-tape-is-said-to-link-milk-price-to-political-gift-nixon-tape.html | access-date=2024-11-12}}</ref>
Investigations revealed that the Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI), a major dairy cooperative, had pledged significant financial contributions to Nixon’s campaign. In August 1969, a lawyer for AMPI delivered $100,000 in a briefcase to Herbert Kalmbach, President Nixon’s personal attorney. This transaction raised suspicions of a ''quid pro quo'' arrangement, suggesting that the administration’s subsequent decision to raise milk price supports was influenced by these contributions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mr. Nixon and the Milk Deal |url=http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/White%20Materials/Watergate/Watergate%20Items%2009972%20to%2010289/Watergate%2010181.pdf |access-date=December 8, 2024 |website=JFK Archive |publisher=Hood College}}</ref>
The scandal led to legal actions against key figures. In July 1974, former Treasury Secretary John B. Connally Jr. was indicted on charges including accepting illegal payments, perjury, and obstruction of justice. The indictment alleged that Connally had received $10,000 from AMPI in exchange for influencing the administration’s decision on milk price supports.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Desert Sun 29 July 1974 — California Digital Newspaper Collection |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19740729.2.8 |access-date=2024-12-09 |website=cdnc.ucr.edu}}</ref> The prosecution’s case relied heavily on testimony from Jake Jacobsen, a lawyer for the milk producers, who claimed to have delivered the payments to Connally. However, Connally was acquitted of all charges in 1975, as the jury found insufficient evidence to convict him.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=TIME |date=1979-09-10 |title=Nation: The Milk Case Revisited |url=https://time.com/archive/6854565/nation-the-milk-case-revisited/ |access-date=2024-12-09 |magazine=TIME |language=en}}</ref>
===21st century=== In 2011, DFA acquired Kemps of St. Paul, Minnesota, and its subsidiaries from HP Hood.<ref name="KEMPS">[http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2011/04/15/dairy-farmers-of-america-buys-kemps.html Kansas City Business Journal - ''Dairy Farmers of America will become owner of Kemps'' (April 15, 2011)], Retrieved Apr. 23, 2015.</ref> In 2014, DFA acquired Oakhurst,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dfamilk.com/newsroom/press-releases/oakhurst-acquired-farmer-owned-cooperative|title=Oakhurst Acquired by a Farmer Owned Cooperative - Dairy Farmers of America|website=www.dfamilk.com|accessdate=6 February 2019|archive-date=7 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207020025/http://www.dfamilk.com/newsroom/press-releases/oakhurst-acquired-farmer-owned-cooperative|url-status=dead}}</ref> and Dairylea Cooperative Inc. merged with the farmer-owned Cooperative. DFA became the sole owner of America Buys kemps in 2015,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dfamilk.com/newsroom/press-releases/dairy-farmers-america-acquires-sole-ownership-dairiconcepts|title=Dairy Farmers of America acquires sole ownership of DairiConcepts - Dairy Farmers of America|website=www.dfamilk.com|accessdate=6 February 2019|archive-date=7 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207015248/http://www.dfamilk.com/newsroom/press-releases/dairy-farmers-america-acquires-sole-ownership-dairiconcepts|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dfamilk.com/newsroom/press-releases/dfa-acquires-cumberland-dairy|title=DFA Acquires Cumberland Dairy - Dairy Farmers of America|website=www.dfamilk.com|accessdate=6 February 2019|archive-date=7 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207015558/http://www.dfamilk.com/newsroom/press-releases/dfa-acquires-cumberland-dairy|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In February 2020, DFA agreed to buy 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.<ref>{{Cite web|date=|title=DFA completes $433M acquisition, with feds' blessing|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2020/05/04/dfa-completes-433m-dean-foods-acquisition.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125044758/https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2020/05/04/dfa-completes-433m-dean-foods-acquisition.html |archive-date=2022-01-25 |access-date=2020-09-03|website=Business Journal|last1=Kaberline|first1=Brian}}</ref>
==Brands== {{For|brands acquired from Dean Foods in 2020|Dean Foods#Products}} {{div col|colwidth=20em}} * Arla (under license) * Fromageries Bel (under license) * Breakstone's Butter{{refn|Trademark licensed from Lactalis|group=note|name=breaks}} * Cache Valley Creamery * California Gold Dairy Products * Cass-Clay Creamery * Craigs Station Creamery * Dairy Maid Dairy * Falfurrias * Guida's Dairy * Hotel Bar * Keller's Creamery * Kemps * La Vaquita * Live Real Farms * Meadow Gold * Oakhurst * Plugrá * Sport Shake * The Creamery {{div col end}}
;Notes {{Reflist|group=note}}
==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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/pr5584-08|title=Dairy Farmers of America settles with CFTC|website=www.cftc.gov}}</ref>
==See also== * List of dairy product companies in the United States
==References== {{Reflist}} {{Refbegin}} {{Refend}}
==External links== * {{official website}}
{{Arla Foods}} {{Dean Foods}} {{Borden, Inc.}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dairy Farmers Of America}} Category:American companies established in 1998 Category:Food and drink companies established in 1998 Category:1998 establishments in Missouri Category:Agricultural cooperatives in the United States Category:Agricultural marketing cooperatives Category:Companies based in Kansas City, Missouri Category:Dairy products companies of the United States Category:Borden (company) Category:Cooperatives based in Kansas