Upstate Niagara Cooperative
food Lancaster, NY · Private
Upstate Niagara Cooperative is consolidating operations by closing its Rochester plant by end of 2025, impacting ~100 workers, while rebranding Milk for Life under its flagship Upstate Farms label. The cooperative faces operational headwinds including labor shortages across the dairy processing sector and stricter environmental compliance requirements.
Upstate Niagara Cooperative (UNC Dairy) is a farmer-owned dairy cooperative founded in 1965 that manufactures fluid milk, cultured dairy products (yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream), condensed milk, butter, and milk powders at multiple plants across New York and Pennsylvania. It markets products under the Upstate Farms, Bison Foods, Valley Farms, and O-AT-KA brands.
Employees
1,500
Mfg Plants
6
All Facilities
7
Activity
6/10
Type
Private
Plant Locations (7 mapped)
0
Recent News
Nonfat Dry Milk Closes at $1.8500/lb on CME – June 10, 2026 USDA Report - News and Statistics - IndexBox
Google News · 6/10/2026
Milk for Life now to be branded under flagship Upstate Farms products - Dairy Foods Magazine
Google News · 4/16/2026
North Country Dairy Faces Stricter NY Pollution Permit After Multiple Violations - Lancaster Farming
Google News · 3/9/2026
Dairy processors seek workers to power growth - Cornell Chronicle
Google News · 10/15/2025
Local dairy plant closes, two businesses expand - RochesterFirst
Google News · 8/26/2025
UNC Dairy plant in Rochester closing, impacting nearly 100 workers - WHEC.com
Google News · 8/4/2025
Upstate Niagara Cooperative to Close Rochester Dairy Plant by End of 2025 - Dairy Herd
Google News · 7/31/2025
UNC Dairy's Rochester plant to close - Spectrum News
Google News · 7/31/2025
Manufacturing Plants (6)
O-AT-KA Milk Products — Batavia
Batavia, NY
Specialty dairy manufacturing: condensed milk, milk powders, butter, and shelf-stable dairy beverages; ~450 employees; 600,000 sq ft facility; SQF Edition 8 certified
Buffalo Fluid/Distribution Plant
Buffalo, NY
Fluid milk and cultured products processing plant; primary Buffalo-area manufacturing hub
North Country Dairy — North Lawrence
North Lawrence, NY
Cultured dairy products plant acquired in 2011; located in St. Lawrence County
Syracuse Fluid Milk Plant
Syracuse, NY
Fluid milk bottling and fresh dairy production; acquired from Byrne Dairy in 2019-2020; approximately 250 employees
West Seneca Cultured Products Plant
West Seneca, NY
Cultured dairy products facility (yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, dips); currently undergoing a $250 million expansion to more than double capacity driven by Greek yogurt demand
Valley Farms Fluid Milk Plant — Williamsport
Williamsport, PA
Fluid milk processing plant operating under the Valley Farms brand; one of three fluid milk plants in the cooperative's network
Other Facilities (1)
Corporate Headquarters
Lancaster, NY · hq
Corporate headquarters and administrative offices for Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. (UNC Dairy)