Listing of Top 50 Co-Ops
2003 Achievements
2006 FDUSA Policy Resolutions

Family Dairies USA is a grass-roots, non partisan, regional dairy co-op organization dedicated to bring fairness and equity to its family farm members in dairy policy matters and to provide excellence in dairy marketing services at reasonable prices.

This cooperative, in a response to a threat to Midwestern dairy farmers, was established in the early 1970’s – a time when three new super co-ops were sweeping across the southern and central United States and were gobbling up all small private and co-op dairies in their path and then block-voted the newly acquired membership at Federal Order hearings to lock up benefits for themselves at the expense of producers in the Upper Midwest.

General farm organizations such as the National Farmers Union, Farm Bureau, etc. were prevented from voting their members interests at federal order hearings and saw these newly formed super co-ops run rough-shod over Midwest member-producer interests which prompted the then, National Farmers Union Board to decide to help establish a regional, qualified co-op that could vote at Order hearings – and floated a loan to a group of Wisconsin producers to establish a new co-op called, at that time, the Farmers Union Milk Marketing co-operative.

The newly formed co-op members elected a Board of Directors, enacted Articles and Bylaws, and hired a manager, Robert G. Lewis, who in turn hired a staff to administer and provide marketing service to members and begin to fight for Federal Milk Order Reform by calling for a single nationwide milk order.

The new co-op was not, however, given a red carpet welcome. Instead, there was immediate and intense opposition from a good share of the established industry which regarded the new organization as a threat to the status quo both on dairy policy and marketing service matters. In these early years, there was a real question if this new co-op might just get run off the road. It was tough for a new co-op starting in a hostile environment on borrowed money, but the call for order reform resonated among producers and the co-op grew in membership and expanded into many adjacent states.

Its professionalism at Federal Order hearing gained the respect of even its sharpest critics – and the co-op leaders entered full force into the National legislative process as well, and were instrumental in dairy legislation ranging from the Dairy Diversion Program of the 80’s to the counter cyclical Program of 2002. It also took an active role in international trade issues and almost single handedly stopped the Swiss government’s dumping of Swiss cheese on our market and was also one of the prime movers in the so called Goya War.

The co-op early on developed an unparalleled, grass roots, democratic organizational structure and was fortunate in attracting some highly motivated individuals to serve at local, district and board responsibilities along with an excellent professional management and staff.

The co-op expanded its services to include health insurance, beef marketing and direct producer marketing of product across the U.S.

The co-op membership changed the co-op name to Family Dairies USA to more clearly reflect its independent status in September 12, 1998.

This fledging co-op that started as an idea with only borrowed money, today has sales in excess of $100 million and a 3A2 rating by Dunn & Bradstreet, has no outside debt, and all its equity is owned by member producers generated from co-op margins, but most importantly has become a beacon of hope for its members.