Pure Milk Association Records (Chicago), 1924-1969 | Northern Illinois University

On November 30, 1925, thirty-five men representing the University of Illinois Agricultural Extension Service and Farm Bureau dairy farmers from eight counties in northeastern Illinois met to discuss a new dairy marketing organization.  Foremost among their concerns was a new ordinance under consideration in Chicago which would require that all milk sold in the city come from herds cort ified to be free of tuberculosis.  Eight men, each representmr one county, were to go back to talk with local dairymen to assess interest in a new marketing organization: Boone County, L. E. Johnson; Cook County, Herman Schwake; Kane County, W. C. McQueen; Lake County, H. K. Vose; McHenry County, Ole Stalheim; Will County, J. H. Cryder; DeKalb County, George Swanberg; DuPage County, Harold Vial.

The Dairy Department of the Illinois Agricultural Association called a second meeting in Chicago on December 15 to hear the reports of the committee of eight.  Clear and nearly unanimous support for a new organization resulted in the creation of the Pure Milk Association in the second meeting.  In subsequent meetings in December and early January, these dairymen completed the details of administration, structure, and purpose of the cooperative and on January 13, 1926, the Pure Milk Association incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois.  During these weeks Chicago had passed an ordinance (on December 24, 1925) requiring tuberculin tests for all herds producing milk to he sold in the city.

From a financial standpoint, the first few years of operation for the Pure Milk Association were lean and discouraging.  Only after the eighteen day milk strike of 1929 was the Association recognized by the Chicago milk dealers as the bargaining agent for northern Illinois milk producers.  In spite of a plunging stack market, stagnant industry, and bankrupt farmers, the Pure Milk Association maintained full production.  Prior to January 1929, the Association had less than 500 members.  By the end of that year membership had grown to 15,000.

With the increase in membership and financial strength the Pure Milk Association instituted more programs to insure reater protection for its members.  Among the services rendered by the Association, the most important were aggressive milk sales, promotion, guaranteed market and milk check, and surplus milk handling through expanded marketing facilities.

On July 21, 1931, the Association organized the “Milk Foundation incorporated” to handle promotional advertising of fluid milk in the Chicago market.  On March 15, 1932, the Association established the Market Adjustment Fund to provide a guaranteed market and guaranteed milk check for every member.  In 1933, the Association began expanding operations to solve the problem of surplus milk disposal by leasing and operating plants in Elgin, Hinckley, Lisle, St. Charles, and Richmond, Illinois, and in Kansasville, Orfordsville, Salem, and Thorpe, Wisconsin.

In one decade, the Pure Milk Association demonstrated its ability as a producer cooperative to increase dairy product sales and encourage dairy farmer cooperation.  In 1969, the Association explored the feasibility of merging several dairy cooperatives into one large cooperative.  In 1969, Pure Milk Association, under the direction of Avery Vose, became a part of the consolidation of 17 cooperatives into the Associated Milk Producers incorporated.