Since its beginning in 1938, the company has expanded largely through mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures with various dairy cooperatives, producers, and manufacturers.

[2] As of May 2018, Prairie Farms receives milk from over 900 producers, has 5,700 employees (683 in Greater St. Louis), operates 44 manufacturing plants and over 100 distribution facilities, and has annual sales of over $3 billion.

[8] Prairie Farms also makes several novelty products During the winter months, candy cane and eggnog-flavored milk are available.

[7] The company offers multiple variations, ranging from fat-free to premium to sherbet, in an array of 65 different flavors.

Starting a cooperative required large amounts of money, and the only way to obtain it was to sell shares of stock.

In the 1930s, the average container of butter sold for approximately ten cents, while a share of stock in Prairie Farms would have cost nearly twenty-five dollars.

The Community Dairy of Alton received four million pounds of milk per year from forty producers and had annual sales of approximately $250,000.

PFD Supply manufactured and distributed almost all of the food and paper products used by McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, Dairy Queen, and many others.

The purchase cost Prairie Farms about $2 million, and the company predicted ice cream novelty sales would pay for it within ten years.

[7] In recent years, consumers have been largely concerned with the presence of rbST and rBGH, which are bovine growth hormones used to allow a cow to produce more milk.

Although the Food and Drug Administration has repeatedly stated that dairy products from cows given these hormones are safe for human consumption,[12] many people remain unconvinced.

Beginning February 1, 2008, Prairie Farms decided to prohibit its producers from using rbST and rBGH due to increasing requests from consumers.

Although this shift decreased the volume of milk sold by Prairie Farms, CEO Ed Mullins says that Walmart is still the company's largest customer.