Dairy Foods was thrilled to present its 2003 Processor of the Year award to Stonyfield Farm at January’s IDFA Dairy Forum in Boca Raton, Fla. Joseph O'Neill (left) of Orafti Active Ingredients, joined Dairy Foods’ Chief Editor David Phillips and Publisher Thomas Imbordino in congratulating Stonyfield’s President Gary Hirshberg after the awards breakfast.

The success of its cultured dairy products line, including the Bison brand dips, has created a need for additional capacity, the company says.

"We've seen a pretty sizable increase in the volume of cultured products we're selling, and so we're looking for room to grow, wherever it may be," said Tim Harner, general counsel for Upstate Farms.

The company said there is a possibility that its existing cultured product plant would be shuttered after the new plant was completed, but that no firm determination has been made.

Harner said the $2 million expansion of Upstate Farms' milk processing plant in Cheektowaga, which began earlier this year, would be unaffected if the West Seneca proposal is approved. A local economic development agency approved a 15-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement for the 10,000-square-foot expansion, which was approved in June of 2002.