Flooding the Market
How Dairy Consolidation is Drowning Minnesota’s
Farmers & Rural Communities
April 2026
Minnesota is facing a generational crisis in agriculture as dairy farmers 
are pushed out of the industry at an alarming rate even as production continues to rise. Extreme consolidation, driven in part by the rapid expansion of mega-dairies like Riverview LLP, is distorting dairy markets, limiting opportunity for independent farmers, and undermining rural economies. We are at a critical moment here in Minnesota when it comes to the future of family dairy farming. Riverview’s latest proposal, which would create the largest livestock operation in Minnesota, would further concentrate dairy production at a time when farmers are already struggling to survive. In short, the so-called “West River Dairy Expansion” in Stevens County would be a game changer for independent farmers, rural communities, the land, and our water. As state regulators consider Riverview’s unprecedented proposal, it’s clear this convergence of rapid consolidation, economic distress, and large-scale expansion raises urgent questions about whether existing policies are adequately protecting fair competition, rural communities, and public resources.
This Land Stewardship Project white paper examines Riverview’s scale, the structure of dairy markets, and the broader impacts of consolidation. What does it mean for farming communities and Minnesota’s economy if one dairy company forecasts that this is “the best place in the world to continue to grow” while 75% of dairy farmers over the past two decades have gone out of business?
For more information, contact Sean Carroll, LSP’s policy director, at scarroll@landstewardshipproject.org or 612-400-6359.