Press Releases

"Healthy and happy" are the watchwords of the Organic Valley Winter Fancy Food Show team as they prepare to highlight the brand's award-winning butters, especially its high-fat European Style Cultured Butter, and its low-fat lunch box ready single serve flavored milks.

The largest producer of organic pork in the nation, Organic Prairie, the meat brand of the 900-farmer strong Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative, is set to enjoy a full year of educational activity designed to help citizens be better informed about their full line of fresh, frozen, and ready-to-eat meats from beef, pork, chicken, and turkey.

Organic Valley, America's oldest and largest organic farmers cooperative and one of the nation's leading organic brands, today welcomed the University of New Hampshire Organic Dairy Research Farm into its cooperative as a milk supplier and full voting member.

"The partnership between UNH and Organic Valley will help further organic education in the region and continue to build the Northeast regional organic dairy program developed by Organic Valley and Stonyfield Farm over the last decade" said John Cleary, Organic Valley's New England Regional Pool Coordinator.

Organic Valley, the nation's oldest and largest organic farmers cooperative, welcomes its new organic dairy farmers from South Dakota—four brothers and their two cousins—from Milbank and neighboring town, Big Stone City, 10 miles from the Minnesota border.

The brothers, cousins and their families own and operate South Dakota's first certified-organic dairy farms. They began shipping milk to Organic Valley Monday, Nov. 20. The Fonder brothers' father, Dennis Fonder, played a pivotal role in helping his boys and their cousins transition their farms to certified organic. They are now among more than 900 farmer-members of Organic Valley.

In response to the F.D.A's tentative approval of food from cloned animals, George Siemon, CEO of Organic Valley, the nation's oldest and largest organic farmers cooperative, called on the USDA to clarify its position on the use of cloned animals.

Siemon assumed that cloning would not be allowed in the standard as it falls within the ban on GMOs, excluded methods and prohibited technologies. Explained Siemon, "Organic farmers work in harmony with nature, not to change it. Consumers can be assured that Organic Valley and its meat brand, Organic Prairie, will never allow the use of cloned animals on our farms and in our products."

Organic Valley, the nation's oldest and largest organic farmers' cooperative, congratulates farmer-members Ron and Maria Vakulskas Rosmann and their sons, David, Daniel and Mark, on receiving the prestigious 2006 Spencer Award for Sustainable Agriculture, one of Iowa's largest sustainability honors awarded annually by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University.

Jon Bansen, a third-generation dairy farmer from Monmouth, Oregon, received Oregon Tilth's Producer of the Year award during Oregon Tilth Fall Conference, entitled, "Feeding the Future." The Organic Valley farmer-owner was commended for his outstanding organic livestock operation as well as his willingness to share that knowledge and experience with his peers.

"Lunch Lottery," a national educational campaign to build grassroots awareness and support for healthier school food, was launched today by Organic Valley Family of Farms at a taste test of three types of American school lunches.

Organic Valley Family of Farms' cheese and butter were recently recognized among the nation's best at the American Cheese Society's 23rd annual judging competition—one of the world's most prestigious competitions for artisanal and specialty cheesemaking.

Organic Valley Organic Pasteurized Colby cheese won second place in the "American Originals—Colby Made from Cow's Milk" category, and Organic Valley Organic European-Style Cultured Butter took second place in the "Unsalted Butter Made from Cow's Milk with or without Cultures" category. There were 941 entries in this year's competition, almost 200 more than last year's record 749. Awards were presented on July 21 at the Hilton Portland Hotel in Portland, Ore.

Organic Valley, the nation's oldest and largest organic farmers cooperative, is giving Minnesota State Fair-goers a taste of organic hot dogs by Organic Prairie, the co-op's meat brand, and Organic Valley organic cheeses and milk at the co-op's largest-ever sampling event as part of the fair's first-ever Eco Experience.