“I applaud McCarty Family Farms and Dannon for entering into a successful partnership that benefits farmers, the small businesses that support farmers, consumers and the community as a whole,” Gov. Brownback said.  “This partnership is a fabulous example of how agriculture can create good-paying rural jobs with the potential to spur significant additional job creation in the future.”

As Dannon’s fresh milk supplier, McCarty Dairy provides its milk directly to Dannon. This is the first time Dannon has entered into this type of partnership with a family-owned dairy.  Since the partnership was initiated in 2011, more than 50 direct jobs have been created in rural Kansas, effectively doubling the size of McCarty Family Farms to more than 100 employees.  Additionally, the construction of the milk condensing operation required more than 55,000 man hours. 

Through the partnership, both McCarty Dairy and Dannon will reduce the impact of milk pricing volatility on their respective businesses and will simultaneously create a closer, more direct relationship between farmer and consumer. McCarty Family Farms and Dannon also share ambitious goals for environmental stewardship, which can now be implemented through direct collaboration. For example, the new condensing facility will reduce the number of trucks needed to ship milk by 75 percent and allows the farm to reuse the water that is removed during condensing of the milk. Approximately 39,000 gallons of water is reclaimed daily from condensing milk.

Dannon is the top selling yogurt maker in the United States and part of Danone, a world leader in dairy products, bottled water, baby food, medical nutrition, biscuits and cereals.

McCarty Family Farms is a fourth-generation family dairy farm located in western Kansas. In 2000, in search of more land, the McCarty family moved its dairy from Pennsylvania to Rexford, Kansas. 

Since moving to Kansas, the dairy has grown from 800 cows to 7,200 cows and three separate facilities. The dairies are located in Rexford, Bird City and Scott City. Daily, the cows produce approximately 59,400 gallons of milk.  Also included in their multiple expansions is a 3,500 heifer replacement facility. McCarty Dairy is managed by parents, Tom and Judy, and sons Clay, Ken, and Mike. Their forth son, David, manages a separate 6,000 cow dairy in southwest Kansas.

“The success story of the McCarty’s is one we want to celebrate and hold up while encouraging growth for all of Kansas agriculture,” Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Dale Rodman said. “They are proof that Kansas is a great place for the dairy business and that agriculture breathes life into our rural communities.”