Darigold’s New Pasco, Washington, Plant Begins Receiving, Processing Milk

Seattle, Wash.-based Darigold Inc., the processing and marketing arm of the Northwest Dairy Assn. (NDA) has begun receiving and processing milkv at its new facility in Pasco, Wash., according to a release from the company. The Pasco plant stands as the largest investment in Darigold’s 100-year history, representing a portion of a more than $1 billion investment in the state dairy sector, including the facility as well as on-farm expansions.

When fully operational, the new plant, which was first announced in 2021, will be able to process up to 8 million pounds of milk per day from regional farms, producing butter and powdered milk products distributed across the country and in about 30 other countries. It is expected that nearly 200 people will be employed at the facility at its peak.

Construction on the facility began in 2022, and although the facility is receiving and processing milk, some production equipment requires additional work before the plant is finally fully operational. One of the first (of two) milk dryers, for example, isn’t expected to come online until about early August, at which point the company also expects to begin butter production as well.

The company is proud of the sustainability measures taken at the facility to include low-emission burner technology used in the milk dryers, which will reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, and its location near many of the 100 dairy farms that will supply the plant, reducing shipping miles on the milk.