Make the ‘moo-ve’ to Dairy Farmers of America; new opportunities, weekly job fairs in St. George

CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — It takes an incredible team to deliver delicious, nutritious dairy to communities nationwide, and Dairy Farmers of America is looking for a few good folks to join their herd. 

Dairy Farmers of America works directly with local, family-owned farms across the country to transform raw milk into products that consumers know and love. The cooperative already provides over 100 jobs in St. George, and business is booming. They’re now hiring for entry-level positions and accepting applications at weekly job fairs and online. 

“We’re looking for people who are interested in careers, not just jobs,” human resources manager Whitney Badger said. “There’s a lot of opportunity for internal promotion and growth within the organization.” 

Dairy Farmers of America operates the former Dean Foods manufacturing plant in St. George, acquired after the now-defunct milk production giant filed for bankruptcy in 2019. The plant is under completely new leadership committed to creating a positive work environment. 

“Management cares about the people,” filler operator José Reyes said. 

The St. George plant produces nearly 2 million gallons of packaged ice cream, frozen yogurt and sherbets every month. These products are distributed under the Meadow Gold Dairy label, a Dairy Farmers of America regional brand, as well as private customer labels.  

Dairy Farmers of America employees donate meal backpacks to Tan’s Treats, St. George, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Dairy Farmers of America, St. George News
“Dairy Farmers of America, right here in St. George, is the cool career to have,” general manager Ken Kaneversky said. “We work with great people making the best ice cream around. We have a great work-life balance; in many cases, team members work three or four days a week with every Sunday off. It doesn’t get much better than that!”

Dairy Farmers of America offers competitive wages starting at $19 per hour and numerous opportunities for advancement within the nation’s largest cooperative of farmers. The company operates four manufacturing plants in Utah and a total of 86 nationwide.

Along with providing jobs, Dairy Farmers of America gives back to the communities they serve through the DFA Cares Foundation. On the local level, the St. George plant has partnered with Tan’s Treats, a nonprofit organization working to eradicate food insecurity in Washington County by filling meal sacks for low-income students. 

Many families rely on free school meals when money is tight. Tan’s Treats steps in to cover the gap during weekends, holidays and breaks, working with the school district to identify the students at greatest risk. 

The St. George plant recently set a target of providing 50 food backpacks to Tan’s Treats for spring break, but their employees showed up in a big way by more than doubling the initial goal. They donated a total of 108 backpacks. 

Dairy Farmers of America employees donate meal backpacks to Tan’s Treats, St. George, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Dairy Farmers of America, St. George News

“One of the initiatives I was most excited about when I joined the herd here at Dairy Farmers of America was DFA Cares,” Badger said. “I’m proud to belong to an organization that cares about and is invested in our community.” 

Established in 1998 through a merger of four dairy cooperatives, Dairy Farmers of America is now a global dairy marketing cooperative owned by 12,500 family farmers from across the country. The company is grounded in farmer ownership and always seeks new ways to grow and invest for the benefit of all participating farms.

Dairy Farmers of America is currently the largest supplier of raw milk and the third-largest dairy company in the world. The cooperative manufactures a variety of dairy products, including cheese, butter, fluid milk, ice cream, dairy ingredients, at plants nationwide. Employees have their fingerprints on thousands of brands across the marketplace.

Just ask warehouse worker Jesús García, who relishes the opportunity to learn new skills as part of the herd. 

“With the right attitude, Dairy Farmers of America is more than just another job – it’s a career,” he said. “What are you waiting for?”

Dairy Farmers of America hosts job fairs every Thursday from 2-6 p.m. at the plant, located at 1310 E. Commerce Drive in St. George. Learn more about the cooperative and current employment opportunities at DFAmilk.com/careers.

Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.

• S P O N S O R E D   C O N T E N T • 

Resources

  • Dairy Farmers of America | Address: 1310 E. Commerce Drive, St. George | Website.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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