Processing of 48 million liters of organic milk per year into regional dairy products under its own management
Upländer Bauernmolkerei GmbH
Willingen-UsselnNew on Amplifa
About us
Upländer Bauernmolkerei GmbH processes organic milk from 105 affiliated organic farms into regional quality products such as whole milk, pasture milk, butter, buttermilk, yoghurt, sour cream products and Handkäse (Hand cheese). The milk is gently pasteurized (72–74 °C for 15–25 seconds), pressure-free deep-filtered and only partially homogenized. Around 48 million liters of organic milk are processed annually; processing is carried out exclusively according to organic guidelines (Bioland, EU Organic Regulation, FairBio) and without genetic engineering. Products are sold to organic food retailers, wholesalers, food retail, regional grocery stores and bulk consumers, supplemented by an own organic shop at the site. The company with 55 employees is based in Willingen-Usseln in the Upland region and is managed by Tobias Kleinsorge and Stefan Weiler.
- Site
- Willingen-Usseln
- Processes
- Pasteurization (short-time heating), Pasteurization of pasture milk (72-74°C for 15-25 seconds), Partial homogenization, Pressure-free & slow deep filtration, Yoghurt production (fermentation with cultures Bifidobacterium BB-12 and Lactobacillus acidophilus), Butter production (sweet cream butter), Buttermilk production (souring with lactic acid bacteria), Sour cream production (sour cream, Schmand, crème fraîche)
- Materials
- Organic milk (Bioland, cow's milk), Organic pasture milk, Bioland cream, Bioland sweet cream buttermilk, Bioland organic milk
- Certificates
- Bioland, EU Organic Regulation, without genetic engineering, FairBio association, IFS, EU Organic Regulation (DE-ÖKO-006), FairBio e.V.
- Founded
- 1996
- Employees
- 55
- Industries
- Food/Dairy, Organic food retail, Wholesale, Food retail, Regional grocery stores, Bulk consumers/Gastronomy
- 01
Milk collection tanker of the organic farms
- 02
Milk storage (outdoor storage tank 100,000 liters)
- 03
Deep filtration
- 04
Pasteurization (short-time heating)
- 05
Partial homogenization
- 06
Processing into dairy products (yoghurt, butter, cream, sour cream)
- 07
Filling (gable-top carton, K3® cup, reusable glass)
- 08
Marketing and distribution
Raw materials & Processes
Bioland organic milk
Raw milk from 105 organic farms of the Hesse milk producer association, the basis of all products.
Organic pasture milk
Milk from cows kept on pasture for at least 120 days per year, regional from Hesse.
Bioland cream
Raw material for whipped cream, sour cream, Schmand, crème fraîche and sweet cream butter.
Locations
Willingen-Usseln
DEDairy/production, administration, organic shop, Milchmuhseum (milk museum)
- Materials
- Bioland organic milk
- Milk storage tank (100,000 liters, outdoor storage tank)
- Cartoner
- Cup stacking machine for cup products
- Cream tanks
- Cup machines (cup filling system)
- Laboratory equipment
- Milk collection tanker
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pasteurization (short-time heating)Food processing (no classic manufacturing process) | – | – | – | – | Organic milk (Bioland) |
| Pasteurization of pasture milk (72-74°C for 15-25 seconds)Food processing (no classic manufacturing process) | – | – | – | – | Organic pasture milk |
| Partial homogenizationFood processing (no classic manufacturing process) | – | – | – | – | Organic milk |
| Pressure-free & slow deep filtrationFood processing (no classic manufacturing process) | – | – | – | – | Organic milk |
| Yoghurt production (fermentation with cultures Bifidobacterium BB-12 and Lactobacillus acidophilus)Food processing (no classic manufacturing process) | – | – | – | – | Bioland milk |
| Butter production (sweet cream butter)Food processing (no classic manufacturing process) | – | – | – | – | Bioland cream |
| Buttermilk production (souring with lactic acid bacteria)Food processing (no classic manufacturing process) | – | – | – | – | Bioland sweet cream buttermilk |
| Sour cream production (sour cream, Schmand, crème fraîche)Food processing (no classic manufacturing process) | – | – | – | – | Bioland cream |
| Handkäse (Hand cheese) production (with and without caraway)Food processing (no classic manufacturing process) | – | – | – | – | Organic milk |
| Cream extraction / cream processingFood processing (no classic manufacturing process) | – | – | – | – | Organic milk |
| Filling in reusable glass (yoghurt)Food processing (no classic manufacturing process) | – | – | – | – | Organic milk |
| Filling in cups (K3® cardboard-plastic combination)Food processing (no classic manufacturing process) | – | – | – | – | Organic milk |
| Filling in beverage carton (gable-top carton)Food processing (no classic manufacturing process) | – | – | – | – | Organic milk |
7 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milk storage tank (outdoor storage tank) | Firma Thrun (Nesselwang) | 1 | Capacity 100,000 liters, 10 tonnes, 10 m high, diameter 4 m | 2017 | Willingen-Usseln |
| Cartoner | – | – | – | – | Willingen-Usseln |
| Cup stacking machine for cup products | – | 1 | – | – | Willingen-Usseln |
| Cream tanks | – | – | – | – | Willingen-Usseln |
| Cup machines (cup filling system) | – | – | – | – | Willingen-Usseln |
| Laboratory equipment | – | 1 | – | – | Willingen-Usseln |
| Milk collection tanker | – | – | – | – | Willingen-Usseln |
Additional services
Quality
Quality assurance includes an own laboratory as well as ongoing inspections by state-recognized organic control bodies (ABCERT, DE-ÖKO-006). The company is Bioland-certified, meets the FairBio criteria and has been IFS-certified since 2025.
| Evidence | Willingen-Usseln |
|---|---|
| Bioland | |
| EU Organic Regulation (DE-ÖKO-006) | |
| FairBio e.V. | |
| IFS | |
| without genetic engineering |
History
- 1898
Founding of the cooperative 'Upländer Gebirgsmolkerei' by 35 farmers
- 1962
Construction of a new production building
- 1986
Merger of organic farms of the region into a milk producer association
- 1987
Start of organic milk processing at the Sachsenberg dairy
- 1996
Founding of Upländer Bauernmolkerei on 26 April
- 1997
Opening of the dairy shop
- 2002
Opening of the Upländer Milchmuhseum (milk museum)
- 2005
First dairy with 'without genetic engineering' labeling; project 'Erzeuger-fair Milch'; 2nd place Innovation Prize for Organic Food Processing
- 2008
Co-founding of FairBio e.V.
- 2009
Conversion to 100% organic processing
- 2017
Expansion of storage capacity with new outdoor storage tank (100,000 liters)
- 2018
Modernization of the dairy shop
- 2019
Introduction of pasture milk
- 2020
First partner of the consumer initiative 'Du bist hier der Chef e.V.'; new construction of the dairy
- 2021
25th anniversary and inauguration of the new production building
- 2022
Filling in reusable glass
- 2025
IFS certification; Hessian Jury Prize 2025 for organic yoghurt made from pasture milk
- 2026
30 years of Upländer Bauernmolkerei GmbH; management expanded to include Stefan Weiler