Organic Valley in the News

Organic Valley, one of the largest organic cooperatives in the country, is making a move toward becoming more energy independent. They're helping farmers do the same.

Organic Valley farmer Roger Peters has tried using bio-fuel in the past.

"Right now we're not using any at the present time," says Peters.

But after a weeklong bio-fuel workshop put on by Organic Valley and Coulee Region Bio-Fuels he's considering it again. The selling point for Peters is a diesel engine conversion kit.

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In 1988 seven farmers with values and a common vision banded together. They set out to create a sustainable approach to agriculture, and founded a cooperative called Coulee Region Organic Produce Pool (CROPP). As demand increased for organic foods, the co-op created its own brand and marketed products under the name Organic Valley Family of Farmers. Twenty-two years since its founding, CROPP is the largest organic farming cooperative in North America and counts more than 1652 farmer-owners in 33 states and four Canadian provinces. Organic Valley is founded on a lesson that will benefit us all: we are stronger when we stand together than when we stand alone.

As a farmer-owned cooperative of 1,652 organic family farms, Organic Valley takes a strong interest in the health and sustainability of small-scale family farms and rural communities. Commitment to renewable energy will help the economy grow, decrease dependence on fossil fuels, and create a healthier environment for future generations. That is why Organic Valley is pledging its support of renewable energy provisions within the Clean Energy Jobs Act, currently under consideration in the Wisconsin Legislature.

With sales picking up, Siemon said, “We would guess right now we’re going to have an increase in sales of 5 percent on our existing business.” That doesn’t include the effect of a deal that has Organic Valley managing the organic milk supply for Stonyfield Farm fluid milk products as of Jan. 1 and invites farmers who produce that milk into the Organic Valley co-op.

Wisconsin farmers have long known there’s money in manure, but
extracting power was an option only for the biggest herds.

The state’s secretary of agriculture announced a $200,000 grant Friday
to help a Tomah manufacturer develop a manure digester that could help small farms turn waste into electricity.

[Organic Valley member] farmer Wayne Peters said he got involved because he was curious and concerned about the energy supply.

According to Hollender, the world doesn't need lists of businesses that are succeeding in ways that they have succeeded for decades. The world should instead recognize businesses like Organic Valley, Marks & Spencer, and Linden Lab, businesses that are "doing the innovating that matters and taking the risks that deliver truer rewards."

It's impossible to have a conversation with Jon Bansen without asking about his favorite cow Rosie. She's now 12 years old (she was 9 in the film), and for an active producing cow, well beyond the average productive years for a dairy cow. And yet, Bansen proudly shares, Rosie is producing 120% of capacity compared with the rest of his 165 jersey cow herd. By contrast, Bansen explains, the average conventional dairy cow will last about 4 years, and during their first two years, will not produce any milk at all. To Bansen, organic cows are healthier, and remain on average, productive longer, than their conventional counterparts because of the differences in how they are treated, and their access to open pasture for grazing.

R&G Miller & Sons, Inc. is a rather unusual family dairy farm that combines over 150 years of history and family involvement with some of the newest cutting-edge farming practices of today.

The farm dates to 1852 when Jacob Miller came from Germany and began farming in northeastern Dane county along County Highway V just east of East Bristol and west of U.S. Highway 151.

His son Jacob took over in the early 1900s and in the early 1950s sold it to his sons Reinhold and Gerald.

Over the years the family added adjoining lands to the original 80 acres. In 1968 they combined the dairy herd — which was milked in two separate barns —and built a Double 6 milking parlor.

In 1979, the family formed R & G Miller and Sons, Inc. which today includes 1,700 acres of owned and rented land. There are 320 cows being milked twice a day in a 30-cow Rotoflo carrousel milking parlor that was installed in 1990.

Ten Miller family members are active in the farm operation today: Ron and his wife Stephanie and their children Cindy and Miguel; Tom and his daughter Amanda; Gary, Steve and Jim.

Joe Rick, a nephew of Reinhold and Gerald, joined the operation four years ago. And, Gerald Miller — the G in R & G Miller & Sons — although now in his 80s, is still active in the farm operation.

In 1997 the farm was certified organic and began shipping milk to Organic Valley Cooperative. The family gives credit for the decision to go organic to John Miller, who left the family farm in 1998.

Resulting contamination of non-GE and organic alfalfa hay and seed would devastate livelihoods and organic industry

The National Organic Coalition (NOC) today announced that more than 200,000 people submitted comments to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) critiquing the substance and conclusions of its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on Genetically Engineered (GE) Alfalfa. Groups, including NOC, Center for Food Safety (CFS), Organic Consumers Association, Food & Water Watch, CREDO Action and Food Democracy Now, mobilized their communities to help generate the unprecedented number of comments.

In addition, more than 300 public interest organizations, farmers, dairies, retailers and organic food producers from the U.S. and Canada delivered a strongly worded letter to USDA, calling upon it to deny approval of Monsanto’s genetically engineered, Roundup Ready alfalfa (GE alfalfa). The letter cites the inevitable contamination of organic and non-GE alfalfa hay and seeds and threats to the viability of organic dairies, livestock, and meat and dairy producers as reasons for urging the denial. NOC, Organic Valley, Whole Foods, National Cooperative Grocers Association, CFS and others agree that it would be irresponsible government policy to approve GE alfalfa in the absence of legal requirements holding companies accountable for GE contamination, as is currently the case.