Dairy Farmers of America will effectively close its St. Albans milk processing plant and the adjoining St. Albans Creamery & Supply, the group announced Wednesday, putting roughly 80 employees out of work.“Both the plant and store have been foundational parts of the St. Albans community for generations,” DFA said in a statement, adding that it recognizes “the deep local connections to these operations.” A DFA spokesperson told VTDigger that idling the plant means day-to-day production will end, but the group will retain ownership of the facility and maintain a “small team” on site. The closure is a blow to Franklin County’s dairy economy, removing a longtime processing hub in a region built heavily around the industry that has recently faced similar dairy production shutdowns. Dairy Farmers of America, a national farmer-owned cooperative, called the move part of broader operational and network changes.
For union organizer Curtis Clough, the decision to largely end operations came “out of the blue,” and he and his fellow union members were upset once made aware. DFA told workers about the decision 15 minutes before making its public announcement, according to Clough. The DFA spokesperson confirmed to VTDigger that workers were alerted Wednesday morning.
