Oakhurst Dairy is a company in the
dairy industry
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...
that sells mostly milk products, as well as juices. It was founded in 1918, and is headquartered in
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropo ...
.
History
The company's earliest predecessor was a dairy farm founded in 1902 by Arthur Leadbetter, located in Portland.
The name was changed to Oakhurst in 1918, and in 1921 Stanley Bennett, who had been employed to manage the operation in 1920, bought the farm with financing from a local businessman, Nathan Cushman.
At the time, Oakhurst delivered its milk via horse-drawn wagons over two routes.
By 1923, the company had expanded to deliver milk over twelve routes and in 1929 there were 28 routes, including two dedicated to selling milk wholesale.
During its early years, Oakhurst focused on providing milk of higher quality than competing firms, and frequently inspected conditions at its farms and processing facilities.
In 1933, Oakhurst began testing its milk for
tuberculin
Tuberculin, also known as purified protein derivative, is a combination of proteins that are used in the diagnosis of tuberculosis. This use is referred to as the tuberculin skin test and is recommended only for those at high risk. Reliable admi ...
, the first dairy in the US to do so.
By the 1940s, Oakhurst increasingly expanded its business of selling milk wholesale, to organizations such as
IGA,
A&P, regional schools and the
Maine General Hospital.
In 1941, Oakhurst came under the complete control of the Bennett family, who by that time owned all the company's stock.
In 1954, Oakhurst completed an expansion of its processing plant, allowing it to produce up to 40,000 quarts of milk a day, a three-fold increase over its previous capacity.
In 1976, the company ended home delivery of milk, citing their inability to make a profit on the operation due to increasing costs.
In 1977, Oakhurst bought Sanford Dairy, the first of several acquisitions of smaller dairies in the 1970s and 80s.
In 1988, the company was faced with an antitrust lawsuit from Fitzpatrick Dairy, one such smaller company.
In 1990, Oakhurst was ordered to pay $1.9 million to the Fitzpatrick's former owner.
In 2003, Oakhurst was faced with a lawsuit from
Monsanto
The Monsanto Company () was an American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation founded in 1901 and headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri. Monsanto's best known product is Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide, developed in ...
over Oakhurst's label on its milk cartons that said "Our farmer's pledge: no artificial hormones," referring to the use of
bovine somatotropin (rBST), a drug that increases milk production and that Monsanto sells.
Monsanto argued that the label implied that Oakhurst milk was superior to milk from cows treated with rBST, which harmed Monsanto's business.
The two companies settled out of court, and it was announced that Oakhurst would add the word "used" at the end of its label, and note that the US
FDA
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...
claims there is no major difference between milk from rBST-treated and non rBST-treated cows. Oakhurst does not use rBST in its milk.
In January 2014 Oakhurst was acquired by
Dairy Farmers of America
Dairy Farmers of America Inc. (DFA) is a national milk marketing cooperative in the United States. DFA markets members' raw milk and sells milk and derivative products (dairy products, food components, ingredients and shelf-stable dairy products) ...
, an
agricultural marketing cooperative based in Kansas City, Missouri.
Maine’s Oakhurst Dairy sold to farmer cooperative
Portland Press Herald, January 31, 2014
See also
*
References
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Agriculture in Maine
Companies based in Portland, Maine
Dairy products companies of the United States
1918 establishments in Maine
American companies established in 1918
Food and drink companies established in 1918
2014 mergers and acquisitions