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Abstract
First District Association accelerates cheese production with world's longest, three-story cheese belt. [...]Litchfield, Mlnn.-based First District Association's (FDA) $200 million Investment In new processing plants, equipment and state-of-the-art automated technology was unveiled during a Sept. 18, 2021, ribbon-cutting ceremony that also celebrated the co-op's milestone 100th anniversary. New state-of-the art equipment and automated technology also Is enabling FDA to ramp up production of Its whey protein concentrate (WPC) and lactose powders. Zac McCann, cheese plant mgr. HIGHLIGHTS OF FDA'S PLANT OPERATIONS * The eight-bay milk receiving facility allows up to 2,200 gallons of milk to be pumped every minute. * There are 12 silos that each hold 70,000 gallons of raw milk. * After milk is pasteurized, it is sent over to the cheese plant where it is held in ten recently installed 85,000 gallon vats. * The three-story cheese belt, the worlds largest, is designed to produce 42,000 pounds of cheese an hour. * 14 block towers produce 40 pound blocks of cheese, with 16 blocks made each minute. * The barrel packaging room has the capacity to fill a 500-pound barrel of cheese in 43 seconds. * The whey protein dryer can process 130,000 pounds of Whey Protein Concentrate 35% per day. * The new lactose dryer is currently producing 150,000 pounds of powder per day.