At the Gay Lea Foods’ annual meeting, delegates approved by-law changes to expand the open membership to include dairy goat producers as producer members of the co-operative.
Gay Lea Foods is the first Canadian co-operative to have both licensed dairy cow and dairy goat members.
The organization has also made a further investment in goat processing with the purchase of a minority share in goat cheese making company Mariposa Dairy in Lindsay, Ontario.
Growth in goat dairy industry
Chair of the board of Gay Lea Foods, Paul Vickers, said, "As a Canadian dairy co-operative, Gay Lea Foods has been committed to working closely with Ontario dairy goat producers to build an innovative, growing, and prosperous goat industry.”
Vickers said that he was pleased by the membership changes allowing for dairy goat producers to be co-operative members.
“As producer members of the Co-operative they will also benefit from the co-operative principles that underpin our goat strategy, including voluntary and open membership, education and training, and concern for community," he added.
In November 2014, Gay Lea Foods acquired Hewitt's Dairy in Hagersville, Ontario, which includes a range of goat dairy products.