Prairie Farms Cooperative, Our Farmers and Milk Cows
Prairie Farms is a farmer-owned cooperative comprised of more than 700 farm families throughout the Midwest. Since 1938, we have been producing the highest quality products and providing fresh, safe, and nutritious milk to you and your family.
Prairie Farms is Generations of Dairy Farms & Families
Many of us have multi-generational dairy farms. This means our parents, grandparents, even great grandparents established and maintained our farms for years. Oftentimes, you can visit our farms to find no less than two or three generations pitching in, whether it’s actively milking cows, running equipment such as tractors and feed-mixers, caring for the new calves, or keeping the crew fed with homemade meals.
Prairie Farms Milk Cow Care Program
We hold ourselves to the highest standards of animal care. Our animals receive specialized diets of forage and grains, usually customized by animal nutritionists. Our cows eat before we do and follow healthier diets than most! When not milking, our cows can be found relaxing in a barn with fresh bedding or in the pasture with access to plenty of clean water and food.
Excellent cow care is an expectation. The Prairie Farms Cow Care Program details guidelines that our farmers follow for every calf and cow on their farm. We set the highest standards for our cows’ health, facilities and housing, nutrition, equipment, and milking procedures. Our farms are evaluated at least once every three years, and we provide feedback from veterinarians, extension educators, university personnel and our field staff members. The evaluation provides our farmers with the information they need to develop action plans for continuous improvement. The integrity of the program is ensured through third-party verification.
