The balancing power of co-ops
UPDATED May 28, 2021
“That’s what it’s all about,” Lyon said. “They’re milking the cows, and it’s our job to sell it and get the best price that we can for them. It’s a responsibility that we have.”
When co-ops take on the marketing roles for their members' milk, that means they are responsible for balancing their milk intake with demand. That’s not always a simple task either as orders change based on the time of year or even just customer demand that week. Lyon said that the schedule for each week’s orders is organized the preceding Thursday and the co-op is in contact with procurement leaders daily, but of course, orders may come in late, back out, or change.