Wisconsin Ag Connection - Foremost Farms to Team Up with MMPA to Manage Milk Supplies

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Foremost Farms to Team Up with MMPA to Manage Milk Supplies
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 07/31/2014

Two Midwest dairy cooperatives announced they have formed a strategic alliance for the purpose of balancing and adding value to their members' milk supplies in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. On Wednesday, Foremost Farms USA and Michigan Milk Producers Association said they are investing nearly $10 million in the region's dairy industry, a move aimed at keeping pace with the growing dairy production in the region.

The Baraboo-based Foremost Farms has purchased and is installing reverse osmosis technology at MMPA's Constantine, Michigan, milk processing plant. The technology will concentrate three loads of milk into one by removing water and concentrating the milk solids in order to reduce the cost of long-haul milk transportation by two-thirds.

"For the past year, Foremost Farms has been transporting surplus milk from this region back to our own cheese plants in Wisconsin. This has resulted in a tremendous cost burden for our members," said Foremost President Dave Fuhrmann. "This investment allows us to reduce those cost burdens, improve transportation efficiencies, provide market stability for our members' growing milk supply and utilize the milk solids to make cheese."

The installation work has begun this week and is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

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