Types of Wisconsin Creamery Ownership | Farmstead, Co-op, & Corporate Explained

At Dairy Link™ we believe that knowing where your food is produced is just as important as the people behind the process. That is why we have put together a comprehensive list explaining the differences between the types of creamery ownership allowing you to make your own educated decision on how you purchase the dairy you consume.

Farmstead Creamery - This is a creamery that produces dairy products using milk directly from a farm’s own livestock. This also typically means it is in close proximity to the farm or even located on the same property.

Family-Owned Creamery - This is a dairy producer that is family-owned and sources milk from one farm or several local farms.

Local Co-op - This creamery is owned by multiple local farmers in a small geographic location. Co-ops are essentially a business where multiple farmers can pool their resources to reduce costs and increase production volume. For a co-op to be considered ‘Wisconsin-based,’ the majority of its member farms are typically located in the state.

National Co-op - This is a creamery with owners that span across multiple states. These types of creameries may have locations in other states within the country. Typically, the majority of owners are not located within a single state and production takes place in multiple states.

International Co-op - This is a creamery with farm owners spanning across the globe.

Out-Of-State Owned Creamery - Creamery that is owned by an entity in a different state, often a corporation but sometimes an independent business.

Internationally Owned Creamery - Creamery that is owned by a global entity spanning across multiple countries, usually under multinational corporations.

In the state of Wisconsin, all operating cheese producers are supervised by a licensed Wisconsin Cheesemaker regardless of ownership. All milk production must be supervised by a Wisconsin licensed milk producer.