The century-old St. Albans Cooperative Creamery took a step Monday toward a merger with the much larger Dairy Farmers of America in Kansas City.
The co-op’s board voted unanimously to recommend the merger to the members. The members will vote at a special meeting in late July. The coop’s leaders said the merger will give St. Albans access to more capital, larger markets, and economies of scale that the farmers need in order to survive.
“It’s obvious at this point that the co-op isn’t competitive with other coops,” said Bill Rowell, a St. Albans Co-op member who milks 900 cows with his brother Brian in Sheldon. Rowell is chairman of the Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance.
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