What’s new: dairy research centers and plants in North America

The existing facility currently houses 250 dairy cattle and supports the research of faculty in both the colleges of Agriculture & Natural Resources, and Veterinary Medicine. The new facility will house a much larger herd (about 680 cows) in cutting-edge barns. The Center will also feature labs and student instruction spaces.

Doug Freeman, the interim dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine: “The dairy industry has advanced well beyond the center’s current capacity… As we train the next generation of veterinarians, the center will allow them to develop significantly enhanced skills in dairy production medicine.”

Largest US research dairy

Meanwhile, construction is proceeding at the University of Idaho-led Idaho Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (Idaho CAFE), which will have the country’s largest research dairy.

Construction on Idaho CAFE began in May 2023. In March 2024, an additional US$2 million in community project funding was secured for installation at the research dairy of nutrient management technology. Also in March, last bids were secured for completion of the research dairy’s maternity and pharmacy barns, commodity storage and other aspects with construction to be completed this summer and the first cows to arrive by early 2025.

Private facility news

Daisy Brand, a well-known Texas dairy product manufacturer, has announced its plans to build a new processing facility in Boone, Iowa. Daisy Brand also has plants in Arizona and Ohio. This US$708 million investment will bring 255 jobs to the community. The city of Boone will make substantial infrastructure upgrades to support the facility, including improvements to wastewater facilities and an additional water reservoir.

Meanwhile, Walmart is expanding its milk processing in the US, with a third facility in Texas being constructed. Walmart opened its first milk processing facility in Indiana in 2018, and its second facility in Georgia will open in 2025.

Kroger, another huge US grocery chain, has had its own dairy processing plants for some years. It recently announced it would spend US$70 million to update a large dairy plant in Ohio for processing aseptic milk products.

Formula production

Meanwhile in Canada, a controversial Chinese-owned infant formula plant in Ontario (Canada Royal Milk) has just received permission from Health Canada and Canadian Food Inspection Agency to sell its products in Canada. Up to this point, all its infant formula has been shipped to China.

The company uses both cow and goat milk to produce formula, as well as fortified cow milk powder and whole/skim goat milk powders.