Organic Valley in the News

Cottage cheese has long been considered a dieter’s staple. It’s no wonder when you consider its nutritional profile, especially when it is of the low-fat variety. A half-cup serving typically contains 80 to 100 calories, just a few grams of fat, and upwards of 10 grams of protein. Such a protein-rich snack is sure to satisfy any grumbling tummy in no time.

The trouble is, not all cottage cheese is created equally. Read on for a guide on how to choose curds that won’t turn your stomach.

I try to consume only organic dairy, so I was delighted to discover that organic cottage cheese is now widely available, thanks to the folks at Organic Valley. This variety tastes like what cottage cheese should taste like — creamy, without being too rich, with just the right size of curds.

On Thursday morning cold, cloudy, and windy weather conditions greeted visitors to Jon and Tracy TePoel’s dairy farm in Douglas County’s rural Maple area.

The visitors had come from across northern Wisconsin to discuss and learn about organic dairy farming. Sponsored by Organic Valley and the TePoel’s, guests from Neillsville, Eau Claire, Elk Mound and others huddled in TePoel’s machine shop for the presentation by Guy Jodarski, DVM, and Doran Holm, Pool Coordinator for Organic Valley Cooperative.

Dr. Jodarski presented the group with information on organic dairy practices and management. He stressed three areas of successful organic practice; soil health, stress reduction, and nutrition. Jodarski discussed the importance of the grazing regulation imposed by the FDA for organic certification.

“Good grazing management on good natural graze land will yield healthy cows and quality milk product,” said Jodarski. Jodarski also spoke briefly about homeopathic and tincture treatments for some bovine ailments, dairy cow physical structure, and acceptable supplements for both the animal and the pasture.

A great example is Organic Valley, a provider of organic dairy products, produce, meats, and other natural foods," says Gordon. "Each year they continue to grow dramatically and yet they don't have an 'outcome' goal in mind. Rather they focus on their purpose and process and this fuels their growth.

Loretta and Martin Jaus farm with animals in mind. That doesn't mean they raise meat.

It's a dairy farm, so cows come first, no question. But anything else with feathers or fur also has, as the song goes, a place in the choir.

When I drove to the Jaus farm to visit, I had explicit directions. Even without an address, I would have known it as soon as I saw it. It looked like a weedy field, neglected, abandoned and very wildlife-friendly. It was a Jaus pasture.

The Jaus farm is an ark in the middle of an ocean of corn and soybeans.

The Earth is worthy of celebration every day and we in Colorado's Vail Valley should worship said sphere regularly in recognition of its ability to give us everything we need, like food, water, air and shelter. Notice “Escalade” was not in the list of necessities.

Though the Earth is getting more respect lately, it seems we need a tiny square on the calendar to remind us of our magical planet’s importance — and fragility. So on Wednesday — the official Earth Day — I invite you to rally around our beautiful planet with the same fervor as you do other holidays, like Independence Day. After all, green is the color of independence. Sustainability will bring us freedom from foreign oil, freedom from poor air quality, freedom from polluted water, freedom from chemicals in our food, freedom from having to shave our legs every day.

According to the Earth Day Network, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. senator from Wisconsin, proposed the first nationwide environmental protest “to shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda.

ARAMARK Executive Chef and Chefs Collaborative member, Dan Lopez, has created a locally sourced, sustainable and delicious prix-fixe menu for the April 22 Earth Day Luncheon being held at the Delegates Dining Room within the United Nations building on 46th Street. The event is one of 17 being hosted nationwide by Chefs Collaborative members to help educate restaurant-goers about the value of local ingredients and connect them with their food and its source.

“Through my membership with Chefs Collaborative,” said Chef Lopez, “I am able to work with remarkable groups that make it possible for me to create menus that feature sustainable and biodynamic food and beverage selections sourced within a 100-mile radius of the restaurant. Every day, you will find a locally sourced item on the menu at the Delegates Dining Room,” he said.

Here are some tips on eating locally from four Tacomans who’ve been doing it for a while: Rob and Natalie McNair-Huff, and Katie and Andrew McNeely.

• You don’t have to change your whole lifestyle. Just do one thing. Then do one more thing.

• Learn to cook. Learn to adapt recipes. Plan your meals around what’s in season.

• Take a class on canning and preserving to avoid food poisoning.

• Cultivate farmers as friends, especially at the market. You’ll get better food, better deals, better service.

• Don’t get disappointed. It’s hard at first – then it becomes a habit.

Let's be clear, we know farmers are heroes without any help. But, the new Farmers Can Be Heroes program is helping farmers step it up a notch by offering resources to help conventional farmers transitional to organic. The Rodale Institute initiated the free online course and resources calling on their 80-odd years of experience with organic farming and gardening research.

OK, so how can you help?

It looks like more and more companies are starting to get the hang of Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites. Through trial and error and learning from each other’s mistakes, companies are finding new ways to engage people in online communities rather than just bombarding them with unwanted advertising.

Betty Crocker has its own networking site where users can watch instructional cooking videos, save recipes, and ask each other questions about how to keep their cookies from being too flat. Cafes and co-ops are sending out their daily lunch specials through Twitter. And before it was shut down for privacy reasons, the infamous Burger King “Whopper Sacrifice” application on Facebook drew tens of thousands of users.

According to Nielsen Online, people now spend more time on social networking sites than they do on email. Restaurants and food companies are eager to jump into these communities and find ways to promote their brands. A few are lucky enough to inspire groups like the “Addicted to Starbucks” Facebook community, but for most companies, it’s not so easy.

Social media are increasingly in the mix as General Mills, Target and Organic Valley blog and tweet to reach consumers.

It's not just a dream. Your supermarket really is talking to you. And its says it's time for vitamins.

Another example started up last month when Organic Valley, the LaFarge, Wis., dairy cooperative, unveiled its own social networking site. The cooperative hopes customers meet up there -- www.organicrising.com -- to talk about sustainable food.

"We've got hundreds of people who have posted videos, poems, songs," said Sarah Bratnober, marketing director at Organic Valley.