Mission Statement:
First District Association, is an independent dairy cooperative that maximizes returns for its producers and employees through innovation and by providing progressive quality products to a global market. First  District Association played a prominent role and has a very distinct and proud history in the birth and formation of the modern dairy cooperatives in this nation.

History:
From it's very beginning, the Litchfield Creamery was  known for the consistently high quality of it's butter, the efficiency with which it was run, and the excellent service and return to it's patron owners. The Litchfield Creamery was regarded as one of the top three creameries in Minnesota.

In answer to marketing, quality and pricing problems, the Meeker County creamery voted on November 23, 1920 to form the Meeker County Creamery Association. They elected John Brandt as their president. Mr. Brandt was also President of the Litchfield Cooperative Creamery. The Meeker County Creamery Association pioneered the effort to get the best prices for it's products through cooperative purchasing, marketing, shipping and stressing quality above all. On March 31, 1921, the Meeker County Creamery Association leading the way as part of a larger state wide organizational effort, incorporated under the new Minnesota cooperative law and changed their name to the Minnesota Cooperative Creameries Association.  The Meeker County Creamery Association  became the first unit organized as Unit #1 in this newly formed Minnesota cooperative.  On March 7, 1923, the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Cooperative Creameries Association unanimously elected John Brandt to take over as President.

The Minnesota Association began by setting specifications to insure quality and uniformity for sweet cream butter. The real pioneering began with marketing this high quality sweet cream butter directly and educating the consumers to recognize this quality. Once again, it was the 24 creameries of Unit #1, now known as First District Association, which quickly recognized the importance of this marketing plan and unanimously approved the plan at once! All along the way, there were many challenges and intensive campaigns to break up this Minnesota Association. The butter buyers, suppliers, shippers, and very large private creameries had considerable success in breaking up dairy cooperatives in other states. The Minnesota Association, it's member districts and their patrons held together and succeeded.

On February 24, 1924 the Minnesota Cooperative Creameries Association began marketing the sweet cream butter under the name "Land O' Lakes". In March of 1926, the Minnesota Cooperative Creameries Association was renamed Land O' Lakes Creameries Inc. In later years, First District Association began marketing it's own products and in 1985 adopted the "Fieldgate" logo.