DFA was recognized for its investments in the dairy processing industry, strategic partnerships, product innovation and commitment to sustainability. Dairy Foods magazine presented the award to executives from DFA at an awards luncheon at the International Dairy Foods Association Dairy Forum on January 23, 2018 in Palm Desert, Calif.

“One of the key reasons that Dairy Foods selected DFA as the 2017 Processor of the Year is because of the cooperative’s tremendous growth,” says Kathie Canning, editor-in-chief of Dairy Foods magazine.

DFA received the Processor of the Year Award for its investment in the processing industry, as evidenced by the new construction and expansion of dairy plants in Kansas, Michigan, New York, Missouri and Maryland. It has also been instrumental in developing and expanding innovative products such as the Sport Shake® Sportsman line of protein shakes as well as focusing on new product formats for several of its legacy brands such as Borden® Cheese, Kemps® and Keller’s® Creamery Butter. The cooperative also made strides in 2017 to achieve sustainability-minded improvements such as water usage reduction in its plants, as well as forming key partnerships to enhance sustainability practices on its members’ farms via anaerobic digestion and solar panel technologies. Finally, DFA is engaged and committed to the overall industry with company executives and board members playing key leadership roles in organizations that promote the industry, including the International Dairy Foods Association, the National Milk Producers Federation’s board of directors and the U.S. Dairy Export Council, to name a few.

“Everything that we do at DFA is ultimately about delivering value to our farm family owners and the marketplace by working to increase demand for dairy products in the U.S. and throughout the globe,” says Monica Massey, senior vice president and chief of staff at DFA. “We work to achieve this through continued investments, growth and innovation. Being recognized as the dairy industry’s Processor of the Year is truly an honor, and we are thrilled to accept the award on behalf of our more than 13,000 farmer-owners.”

Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) is a national dairy marketing cooperative that serves and is owned by more than 13,000 members on nearly 8,000 farms in 48 states. DFA also is one of the country’s most diversified manufacturers of dairy products, food components and ingredients, and is a leader in formulating and packaging shelf-stable dairy products. For more information, call 1-888-DFA-MILK (332-6455) or visit dfamilk.com.