Milk money for the local economy.

In an age of agricultural conglomerates and mega farms, it’s refreshing to find a dairy that can still lay claim to being homegrown. Even though Darigold can be found in four other states besides Washington, the company has managed to maintain its independence for nearly a hundred years.

The company has the honor of being one of the largest dairy co-ops in the nation and has been farmer owned and operated since 1918. Today, the company represents more than 450 family farms across the Northwest, some with herds as small as 50; others with 20,000 or more. Many have been dairy producers for generations.

Started under the name United Dairymen’s Association, the company asked dairy families to create a new brand name in 1925 and Darigold emerged the winner at the annual summer picnic. Since then, the company’s trademark red and gold logo has been a locally loved brand in the Northwest and with their production rates, it’s not hard to see why.

For those out there who love big numbers, here are some great statistics about Darigold. Annually, farmers produce 8 billion gallons of milk, enough to fill 14,550 Olympic size swimming pools.

From that, the company produces approximately 285 million pounds of butter, 400 million pounds of milk powder, 195 million pounds of cheddar cheese, 90 million gallons of packaged milk (under 30 different labels) and 45 million pounds of cottage cheese, sour cream and yogurt. Annual sales are around $2.1 billion.

Small wonder why Darigold continues to be a local business legend, one that offers top quality dairy products to families throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Northern California and Montana.

Visit the company at their website, Darigold.com.