About the Cooperative

The Michigan Milk Producers Association is a dairy farmer owned cooperative and dairy processor. Founded in 1916, the MMPA serves dairy farmers in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin.

As a cooperative, our members are owners of the business and have the opportunity to be active in its governance. The 13 dairy farmers on our board work to guide the direction of the cooperative in the best interest of our members. MMPA works to best serve members every day by providing leading on-farm services, training and member involvement opportunities. With forward-thinking vision, MMPA also support education for the next generation of dairy leaders with scholarships.

MMPA maintains a strong presence within the dairy industry with strategic business relationships through a variety of channels like processing shelf-stable, value added dairy products. MMPA has four member owned processing plants in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, including Superior Dairy and the Middlebury Cheese Company. Products made at MMPA’s plants include fluid milk, sour cream, cheese, ultra-filtered milk, cottage cheese, ice cream, butter, nonfat dry milk, cream and condensed skim milk. 

MMPA Brands

Our Mission

To market MMPA members’ milk to the greatest advantage possible.

Our Core Values

quality

Quality

We commit to produce the highest quality milk and milk products for our customers to feed the people of the world.

integrity

Integrity

We operate honestly and ethically in all manners of production and business – always holding ourselves to the highest standard.

progressive

Progress

We provide solutions and lead the dairy industry to continued advancement, sustainability and production.

community

Community

We value all people in our diverse workforce and cooperative. We commit to provide leadership, education and proactive involvement to strengthen our communities and ensure America is a great place to live, work and raise a family into the future.

leadership

Leadership

We engage actively in state and national issues impacting the dairy industry, our cooperative and our communities.

MMPA has been helping farmers for over 100 years.

We provide a wide range of on-farm services to members to assist them in producing the highest quality milk possible. The milk produced on our farms is some of the highest quality available in the United States. Each year, members take home a significant portion of the National Dairy Quality Awards. Our members are committed to superior animal care and all are enrolled in the National Dairy FARM program, a national animal care verification program.

Our History

1916

MMPA is formed at Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University)

1919

Michigan Milk Messenger first published

1922

MMPA leads development of the classification of milk pricing system

1932

MMPA starts transporting milk from county receiving stations

1937

First MMPA 4-H Milk Marketing Tour Held

1948

Michigan passes Pasteurized Milk Law

1950

Outstanding Young Dairy Cooperators Program began

1951

Federal Milk Marketing Orders began in Michigan

1956

MMPA Districts Established

1956

MMPA helped members replace cans and purchase bulk tanks

1957

Ovid Plant Purchased

1962

Disaster Protection Program Initiated for Members

1965

Adoption of the Grade A Milk Inspection Law

1966

MMPA Celebrates 50th Anniversary

1978

Michigan Milk Political Action Committee Formed

1979

Dairy Communicators network formed

1981

Constantine Cooperative Creamery Merger, MMPA acquires the Constantine plant

1982

MMPA Merges with Michigan Dairy Producers Company

1984

Advisory Committee Formed to serve as liaison between board, management and members

1987

Joint Agreement between Leprino Foods and MMPA established

1988

Quality Premium Program begins, providing economic incentive for members to produce higher quality milk

2007

Member Farms Required to Provide rBST-Free Milk

2008

Ovid Expansion Project began, completed in 2010

2011

Members begin participating in the National Dairy F.A.R.M. Program for animal care

2015

MMPA attains Level 3 SQF Certification at both processing plants in Ovid and Constantine

2016

MMPA celebrates one century

2016

MMPA enters cheese making business with purchase of Indiana cheese plant

2021

MMPA aquires Superior Dairy in Canton, Ohio