Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 17
Organic Valley is a cooperative defined by its
mission to maintain a longstanding business
that embraces organic farming and small
family farms.
by Pamela Accetta Smith | pasmith@sosland.com
L
a Farge, Wis.-based Organic Valley is a farmer-owned cooperative
representing nearly 1,700 organic farmers in 34 US states. Focused
on its founding mission of saving family farm culture through
organic farming, the co-op produces a wide range of organic dairy, egg
and produce products.
Organic Valley is the nation's largest farmer-owned organic
cooperative, and one of the world's largest organic consumer brands.
" The cooperative was formed in 1988 by seven farmers amid the farm
crisis. A cooperative meant that the farmers owned and ran the business,
and not the other way around, " said Robert Kirchoff, chief executive
officer, Organic Valley. " The farmers were sick of the way food was being
grown with synthetic pesticides, mixed messaging about farming, and how
farmers were being treated. Enough was enough, and with that, they held
their first meeting in Viroqua, Wisconsin, and the cooperative was born. "
A business is defined by its mission, Kirchoff said.
" Our mission is a hopeful vision to establish a business that embraces
organic farming that enables small family farms to be stable and
sustainable, " he said. " Every day we fight to save small organic family
farms. As hundreds of farms lose their markets each year due to the 'get
big or get out' sentiment and corporate consolidation, we continue to do
everything we can to help these farmers. We are bringing new farms into
our cooperative and joining forces with others to figure out solutions to
save these small family farms. "
RAISING THE BAR
Organic Valley is known as the revolutionary co-op that fought for a
decade to help develop the first USDA organic dairy standards.
" We got it done, and we didn't stop there, " Kirchoff said. " All of the
food we sell is USDA-certified organic, and we're always looking to do
what's right for people, animals and the earth. "
The cooperative holds itself to the highest quality standards, and is
proud to be one of the few always-organic brands.
All Organic Valley products are sustainably made without the use of
toxic pesticides, synthetic hormones, antibiotics or GMOs.
From farm to fridge, Organic Valley milk goes through an extensive
list of quality checks. In fact, 57 of them.
" In the end, it really all comes down to care, " said Ty Brannen,
executive vice president, supply chain, Organic Valley. " We care about the
quality and safety of our products, we care about our animals' welfare,
DAIRYPROCESSING.COM | MAY-JUN 2022 17
Organic Valley,
headquarted in La
Farge, Wis., was
founded in 1988 by a
handful of midwest
family farms.
Images courtesy of Organic Valley
http://www.DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dairy Processing - May/June 2022
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - Intro
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 1
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 2
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 3
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 4
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 5
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 6
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 7
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 8
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 9
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 10
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 11
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 12
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 13
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 14
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 15
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 16
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 17
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 18
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 19
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 20
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 21
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 22
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 23
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 24
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 25
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 26
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 27
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 28
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 29
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 30
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 31
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 32
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 33
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 34
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 35
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 36
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 37
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 38
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 39
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 40
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 41
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 42
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 43
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 44
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 45
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 46
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 47
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 48
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 49
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 50
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 51
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 52
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 53
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 54
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 55
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 56
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 57
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 58
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 59
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 60
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 61
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 62
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 63
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 64
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 65
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 66
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 67
Dairy Processing - May/June 2022 - 68
https://digital.dairyprocessing.com/sosland/dp/dairy-processing-july-aug-2024
https://digital.dairyprocessing.com/sosland/dp/dairy-processing-may-june-2024
https://digital.dairyprocessing.com/sosland/dp/dairy-processing-march-april-2024
https://digital.dairyprocessing.com/sosland/dp/dairy-processing-january-february-2024
https://digital.dairyprocessing.com/sosland/dp/dairy-processing-november-december-2023
https://digital.dairyprocessing.com/sosland/dp/dairy-processing-september-october-2023
https://digital.dairyprocessing.com/sosland/dp/dairy-processing-july-august-2023
https://digital.dairyprocessing.com/sosland/dp/dairy-processing-may-june-2023
https://digital.dairyprocessing.com/sosland/dp/dairy-processing-march-april-2023
https://digital.dairyprocessing.com/sosland/dp/dairy-processing-january-february-2023
https://digital.dairyprocessing.com/sosland/dp/dairy-processing-november-december-2022
https://digital.dairyprocessing.com/sosland/dp/dairy-processing-september-october-2022
https://digital.dairyprocessing.com/sosland/dp/dairy-processing-july-august-2022
https://digital.dairyprocessing.com/sosland/dp/dairy-processing-may-june-2022
https://digital.dairyprocessing.com/sosland/dp/dairy-processing-march-april-2022
https://digital.dairyprocessing.com/sosland/dp/dairy-processing-january-february-2022
https://digital.dairyprocessing.com/sosland/dp/dairy-processing-december-2021
https://digital.dairyprocessing.com/sosland/dp/dairy-processing-september-2021
https://digital.dairyprocessing.com/sosland/dp/dairy-processing-june-2021
https://digital.dairyprocessing.com/sosland/dp/dairy-processing-april-2021
https://digital.dairyprocessing.com/sosland/dp/2020_12_01
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com