Press Releases

Organic Valley Cheeses Now as 5 lb. Bulk, 5 lb. Shredded, 2.5 lb. Sliced

Say che-ese. Organic Valley, the first in the nation to offer organic cheese, is expanding its cheese offerings to foodservice distributors with 15 new options.

Fire Up the Grill! Organic Prairie Beef Now Offered at Select ShopRite Stores

Get ready for barbecue season! Beef from Organic Prairie, America's largest cooperative of organic family farmers, is now offered in select ShopRite stores.

Organic Prairie beef is available in seven varieties for summer grilling, including: premium New York strip steak, premium sirloin steak, premium boneless chuck roast, premium beef strips for fajita/stirfry and 1 pound packs of fresh ground beef in 85 percent and 90 percent lean varieties.

Organic Prairie Expands FRESH Hot Dog Line With Turkey & Chicken Varieties

Offers Beef, Chicken, Classic and Turkey Hot Dogs in both Fresh and Frozen Lines with New "Old World" Formulation. Just in time for the start of baseball season this spring, Organic Prairie's has expanded its Fresh Hot Dog line to include two new varieties, Turkey and Chicken. The improved line now features all of America's traditional family hot dog favorites: Turkey, Beef, Chicken and Classic (Beef and Pork).

Lupine Field Days Highlights Endangered Kincaid Species of Lupine

The rare and elegant Kincaid's Lupine (lupinus sulphereus kincaidii) will be the guest of honor at Lupine Field Days—a celebration of the endangered plant's unexpected resurgence—held at the Mallonee farm in the Boistfort Valley of Western Washington on Monday, June 11, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Organic Valley Bestows Farmer Wayne Peters with Highest Honor, Ray Hass Organic Pioneer Award, at Co-op's 19th Annual Meeting

An Organic Valley founding farmer and Organic Valley board president Wayne Peters received the cooperative's highest honor, the Ray Hass Organic Pioneer Award, at the co-op's 19th annual meeting, held recently in La Farge, Wis.

Each year, Organic Valley recognizes a deserving farmer with the award, which acknowledges the recipient's devotion to organic farming and the cooperative as a whole.The award is named for the late Ray Hass, also an Organic Valley founding farmer.

Organic Valley Farmers Get Surprise Mail Delivery: A 13th Check

Farmer members of Organic Valley are used to getting a monthly check from their cooperative for an amount that typically far exceeds conventional pay prices. But recently, they received a surprise delivery in the mail: a 13th check that added another $.75/cwt to their pay price for 2006.

"I've never been so proud to be part of Organic Valley as I am today," said Theresa Westaby, who runs an organic dairy farm with her husband, Delmar, in Stockton, Ill. "I've always had a lot of pride in our co-op, but when I recently showed the 13th check we received to our banker, he reminded me how special Organic Valley is. He said, 'I wonder how many conventional farmers got a bonus check this year?' I replied, sadly, 'none.' I'm grateful to the co-op for giving us the freedom to farm and live how we want."

GMO Alfalfa Will Devastate Organic Dairy Industry

Organic Valley farmers are joining the Center for Food Safety in a fight against the sale of Monsanto's genetically modified (GM) alfalfa seed. Products certified under the USDA Organic seal cannot be genetically modified, and GM alfalfa drift threatens the integrity of certified-organic alfalfa crops, says the organic farmer-owned cooperative.

"Consumers respect and trust what the USDA organic seal represents, which includes no GMOs," said Organic Valley CEO George Siemon. "If the seal no longer represents a GMO-free product, the integrity of the seal will be greatly compromised and consumers may no longer choose organic products. The organic dairy industry is now at approximately $1.4 billion in sales. GM alfalfa drift would severely impact the market for our farmers' products."

CSU, Chico Dairy and Organic Valley Family of Farms Partner to Host Workshops on Pasturing

Farmers and would-be farmers are invited to take a look at California State University, Chico"s organic dairy during a two-day, hands-on producer workshop and educational seminar offered April 24-26, 2007, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Paul L. Byrne Agricultural Teaching and Research Center (University Farm).

Part of a three-day celebration of the campus"s newly transitioned organic dairy, which culminates in a day-long public open house celebration on April 26, the producer workshop provides a window into the educational program that students at CSU, Chico engage in as they pursue agricultural careers. The interactive workshop will provide attendees with knowledge to make their farm as healthy and robust as possible. Nonorganic producers are welcome.

Chico State Fortifies Its Dairy Program with Organic Certification and Membership in Organic Valley Cooperative

When the cows come home to California State University, Chico they’ll arrive from greener pastures, thanks to a starter herd of 20 cows donated by Organic Valley dairy farmers from California, Washington and Oregon. This show of support commemorates the University Farm’s transition to an all-organic dairy program, and celebrates the school’s new alliance as a full-fledged member of Organic Valley Family of Farms, the nation’s largest cooperative of independent, organic farmers.

Earth Day Dinners Sprout Up Nationwide

What do Thanksgiving, Christmas, Independence Day, even St. Patty's Day have in common? They all have traditions involving family, friends, and of course, food. Earth Day deserves a celebration too—a fun food tradition that revolves around local, sustainable and organic cuisine, and involves meaningful discussion about the impact farming has on the planet we share. That's why Earth Dinners are taking root throughout the country as a way to celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd.