Doug Temme is a longtime dairyman in northeast Nebraska and serves as president of the Nebraska State Dairy Association. He knows the past struggles for the Nebraska dairy industry in finding new processors.
That’s why Temme hails the groundbreaking of the new DARI Processing LLC plant in Seward, Neb., as an historic milestone for the dairy industry in the state.
“It’s been 60-plus years since we’ve built a new dairy processing plant in the state,” Temme says. “This will boost dairy potential in Nebraska.”
This new $165 million DARI facility will produce Moo’V Real Milk and is set to be operational early in 2027. It will employ 75 people.
“The concept for the product is something the Tuls family came up with several years ago,” says Steve Martin, executive director of Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska. “They launched Moo’V in 2023. It is an ultra-filtered, lactose-free, high-protein, whole milk beverage, and when the new facility in Seward is complete, it will be packaged aseptically, which means it will have a 14-month unrefrigerated shelf life.”
Choosing Nebraska
Site selection, Martin says, started in 2023 with the Tuls family being courted by several Midwest states and several communities in Nebraska. Ultimately, Seward was selected.
“The new plant will require 1.8 million pounds of milk per day,” Martin explains. “This will require additional milk and the possibility of a new dairy farm or two for Phase 1. If the plant grows, then more dairy farms will be needed to fully supply the plant.”
Additionally, this will divert the current milk supply into the new plant, which will create a void in supply that will need to be filled, creating an opportunity to build more dairy farms in Nebraska.
“This plant will be a significant positive impact to the ag economy,” Martin says. “Farmers located near the dairy farms have another outlet for selling crops and getting access to manure for fertilizer. Partnering with a dairy farm can eliminate some transportation expenses and reduce input costs, making the local crop farmer more profitable.”
Poised for growth
Temme says Nebraska is truly poised for growth in dairy.
“We have the irrigation, so almost a guaranteed supply of grain,” he says. “We have the feed and the water.”
Temme adds that this historic new plant proves that Nebraska is perfect for expansion of livestock production, including dairy.
Martin agrees. “The Nebraska dairy industry is very excited about this opportunity,” he says. “Whether their milk goes into this plant or not, having another milk user in the area generates more opportunities for growth and expansion.
“It helps bring new companies to Nebraska that service and support the industry,” Martin adds. “And it creates opportunities for other dairy processors to build here and take advantage of the new growth. Ultimately, it brings opportunities to build more dairy farms in Nebraska that will add value to locally grown feedstuffs and make rural Nebraska more prosperous.”