From a small 5,000-square-foot plant in Springfield, Ill., solely focused on making ice cream mixes, to a large, 126,000-square-foot plant in Dubuque, Iowa, that processes nearly 40 million pounds of fluid milk a month, Prairie Farms Dairy boasts a wide range of manufacturing operations.

Since 1995, presidents have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.” Dairy Foods is proud to highlight and celebrate 10 fascinating women working in the multifaceted dairy industry who are carving out their own unique path to success.

New equipment from FlexXray, Mettler Toledo, and Nelson-Jameson, and more!

From an early age, the following six women have been involved with the dairy industry for most of their lives. Running around her parents’ dairy farm, Venae Watts, fifth-generation owner of Minerva Dairy, Minerva, Ohio, recalls her first job was to add up the milk tickets from the receiving bay. 

While today’s dairy processing plants don’t include computer-generated holograms, elaborately designed automatic equipment and the ability to harness the power of water and wind into solar energy are just a few sustainability tactics construction engineers are utilizing to design and build the dairy plant of the future.

ARCHON Industries Inc. unveiled its new explosion-proof light: EX20-100., which has been designed to provide continuous illumination of process vessels, tanks, distillation columns, and other industrial items located in hazardous and non-hazardous areas.

Dairy industry ups game in fight to save the planet and design with sustainability in mind.

Vermont Creamery’s processing facilities look a little bit different today than they did 38 years ago when the company was founded as a two-person artisan operation (see the processor profile). 

During the height of the pandemic, interest in automation accelerated. Companies used automation to lower the density of workers on the plant floor and create a healthier environment. Now dairy companies are automating for high assured output, lower waste and the capacity to meet rising demand and changing market tastes.  

Dairy Foods will be judging this year’s program based on specific outstanding achievements outlined in the entries.