Rochdale Farms Cooperative
About Rochdale Farms
Founded in 2009, Rochdale Farms is a cooperative of small-scale farmers, including nearly 300 Amish farmers who practice traditional grass-based dairying and hand-milking from Wisconsin’s Driftless region. From farm to table, Rochdale Farms is committed to helping producers and family farms bring artisan cheese, hand-rolled butter, and other dairy products to food co-ops throughout the Upper Midwest. Purchases from Rochdale Farms help invest in the lives of hundreds of farm families across Minnesota and Wisconsin, while strengthening a resilient, cooperative food supply chain.
Red Barn Farms Collaboration
For decades, extreme fluctuations in commodity milk prices coupled with rising production costs have pressured many dairies to “get big or get out.” Too often, this industrial shift compromises milk quality, animal welfare, and the future of small-scale family farms.
In response, Rochdale Farms partnered with Red Barn Farms in 2020 to launch a local fair trade initiative designed to preserve small-scale dairy farming in Wisconsin. This collaboration allows them to divert milk from several small-scale farms to produce more cheeses—like Mild Cheddar and Colby Jack—and bring high-quality dairy to more markets throughout the Midwest.
By helping Red Barn Farms expand into new markets, it also helps fulfills their mission to advocate for humane animal care and the preservation of small-scale family dairy farms. For every pound of milk made into Red Barn cheese, family farmers earn a fair trade pay price that ensures their businesses and way of farming can thrive for generations to come.
