Sustainability

At Cayuga Milk Ingredients, we are focused on continuous improvement in our sustainability efforts from the farm to the end-users of our product.


Meaningful sustainability is found where environmental, economic, and social interests intersect. Caring for our employees, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and ensuring that our farms meet the highest standards is engrained in our culture: from the farms to the milk processing plant. We live it every day.


Two cayuga marketing cooperative farmers walking and smiling at their cattle

Our Sustainable Environmental Initiatives


  • Anaerobic digester at our processing facility in Auburn
  • Water capture and reuse from our reverse osmosis system in processing
  • Milk is sourced from farm owners that have worked to reduce carbon footprints through feed efficiencies, crop and manure management systems
  • Recycling program enacted for our processing facility and offices
  • Carbon foot-printing and continuous improvement efforts
Sedex approved company logo

Our Sustainable Social Activities


  • At Cayuga Milk Ingredients, we believe our people are our most valuable resource. We pay above-market wages and will not tolerate discrimination of any sort. In 2017, CMI became a SEDEX approved company.
  • Cayuga Milk Ingredients employs a full-time safety manager and is committed to providing a safe working environment for its employees.
  • We are committed to contributing to the conversations and efforts in dairy sustainability through participation in global and regional platforms, working groups, and philanthropic efforts.
  • The Cayuga member farms are compliant with the National Milk Producers Federation Farmer’s Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) version 4 animal welfare program.
  • 100% of the Cayuga farms work with veterinarians and skilled nutritionists to provide world-class care and nutrition to their cows.

  • Cayuga employs a full-time employee who audits member farms quarterly for compliance with the FARM animal welfare program.
A separation tank at Cayuga Milk Ingredients

Our Sustainable Economic Efforts


  • Our state of the art milk processing facility was located and built to reduce the hauling costs and the carbon footprint of our milk and to ensure a closer relationship to the marketing and processing of our milk
  • Marketing Cayuga Milk collectively to increase the milk prices to Cayuga Farms to improve the economic viability through the supply chain
  • Continue to work toward profitable scale and production efficiencies whenever opportunities present themselves.
U.S. Dairy Stewardship Commitment Innovation Center for Dairy Logo

U.S. Dairy Stewardship Commitment


Cayuga Milk Ingredient’s adoption of the U.S. Dairy Stewardship Agreement affirms our pledge to comprehensive sustainability standards that demonstrate our commitment to our customers, the community, the environment, and the future.

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