Darigold Inc., the Seattle-based processing and marketing arm of the Northwest Dairy Association (NDA), has officially begun receiving and processing milk at its new facility in Pasco, Wash. 

The new plant will process up to 8 million pounds of milk per day from more than 100 regional farms, producing butter and powdered milk products for customers throughout the United States and some 30 countries worldwide. 

The Pasco project represents more than $1 billion in investment in Washington's dairy sector, including both construction and on-farm expansion. It is expected to employ nearly 200 people directly and to support up to 1,000 jobs n total through transportation, warehousing, and farm workers.

"Dairy demand continues to grow, both here at home and abroad," said Allan Huttema, president and CEO of Darigold and a third-generation dairy farmer in Parma, Idaho. "Our new Pasco facility solidifies the Northwest as a global dairy leader and reflects our farmer-owners' long-term commitment to good stewardship, high-quality production, and maintaining dairy farming as a way of life."

Darigold's farmer-owners approved the Pasco project in 2021 to expand and modernize the company's production capability, create growth opportunities for member farms, and strengthen the co-op's ability to serve global markets. Pasco was selected for its proximity to a large number of NDA member farms, access to a robust workforce in the Pasco/Tri-Cities area, and access to key transportation infrastructure, including highways, rail lines and ports.

Construction began in 2022. While the facility is now receiving and processing milk, Darigold will continue to finalize work on production equipment over the coming months. The company expects to begin producing powdered milk from the first of two milk dryers, and butter by early August. A second dryer is slated to come online by year's end.

The new Pasco facility is also central to Darigold's alignment with U.S. Dairy's 2050 stewardship goals. The plant incorporates a variety of innovative technologies and conservation strategies that are projected to provide significant reduction to carbon emissions. Key sustainability features include:

• Low-emission burner technology in milk dryers to significantly reduce nitrogen oxide emissions.
• A partnership with the City of Pasco that expanded its Process Water Reuse Facility (PWRF), including an anaerobic digester, allowing responsible treatment and reuse of agricultural wastewater.
• A strategic location within the multimodal Port of Pasco and close to more than 100 member farms, which creates transportation efficiencies and reduces logistics-related emissions, including road miles.

"The Port of Pasco congratulates Darigold and its dairymen and women on a crowning achievement," said Jean Ryckman, president, Port of Pasco Commission. "As the Pasco facility comes online, it also serves as a shining star in the Port of Pasco's 85-year history of supporting agriculture and food processing in Franklin County. This project creates an impressive number of new jobs and brings new opportunities for the citizens of Pasco and the surrounding area."