Our History

With a quick smile and an unmatched work ethic, Russell Jilbert founded Jilbert^TM Dairy in Lake Linden, Mich., in 1937. It was a family affair from the beginning, with his wife, Marion, and brood of eight children all pitching in. In its first year, the dairy was producing 10,000 pounds of milk per month. And from the humble beginnings of its first delivery vehicle — an old Oldsmobile with its seats torn out — the family guided the dairy to national acclaim.

For the Jilberts, dairy was a way of life, but an ever-changing one as business evolved. The dairy built its own processing plant, yet remained committed to using local farms around the Upper Peninsula. Markets expanded from Ironwood to Drummond Island, from Menominee to Copper Harbor and parts of northern Wisconsin. Jilbert's ice cream even became a family favorite, especially its famous Mackinac Island Fudge^TM.

Today, Jilbert Dairy is owned by Dairy Farmers of America. That's why families know they can still trust Jilbert for fresh dairy products. 