International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) has bestowed Organic Valley Family of Farms, the nation's largest independent and farmer-owned organic dairy cooperative, with the "Best Website - Milk" award in its "2005 Achieving Excellence Awards" annual competition.
Organic Valley was recognized in the "Best Website" category for its site's creativity, clarity of message and business results.
"It's a wonderful honor to be recognized by the IDFA for creating a rich educational resource for people who want to learn more about organic food and farming," said Sarah Bratnober, communications director for Organic Valley. "Our Web site is different than those of most other brands because it isn't about selling products. Rather, it supports the cooperative's mission of showing people how to make lifestyle choices that support a sustainable food system and healthy urban and rural communities."
Catering to the interests of people from three primary interest groups—health, food and the environment—Organic Valley's site offers a variety of educational content, from scientific to entertaining. Three distinct special interest "clubs," including Mothers of Organic, Farm Friends and Kids' Club, offer informational kits with coupons, inspiration and activities for getting involved in the organic movement. In addition, three e-newsletters are delivered to those who request them, providing fresh content each month and giving people a reason to regularly return to the site.
Other highlights of www.organicvalley.coop include:
- The "Heart of Farming," a monthly multimedia column that features interviews with organic farmers at www.organicvalley.coop/heart
- "Organic Survivor,"a pediatrician's monthly report on the practical challenges of his quest to eat 100 percent organic foods
- Regional home pages that tell Organic Valley's audiences about co-op-related happenings where they live
- A site specifically for Organic Valley farmer-members, and all farmers interested in organic production and the opportunities offered by the co-op: www.farmers.coop
- "Meet Your Farmer" (www.organicvalley.coop/products/soy) allows consumers to trace each carton of Organic Valley Soy back to the family farm where the beans were grown
- "Farmometer," showing the ever-growing number of farms in the co-op
- Dynamic recipe search, sortable by product and category
- "Recipe book" feature that allows users to collect and download recipes
- Kitchen pantry with cooking tips, chef profiles and food-related articles
- Satellite sites, including www.moomom.com and www.earthdinner.org
Organic Valley accepted the "Best Website - Milk" award recently at IDFA's SmartMarketing conference in Las Vegas. To view Organic Valley's award-winning Web site, visit www.organicvalley.coop.
Organic Valley: Independent and Farmer Owned
Organic Valley Family of Farms is America's largest cooperative of organic farmers and is one of the nation's leading organic brands. Organized in1988, it represents nearly 750 farmers in 23 states and realized a record $245 million in 2005 sales. Focused on its founding mission of keeping small and mid-sized farmers farming, Organic Valley produces 200 organic foods, including organic milk, soy, cheese, butter, spreads, creams, eggs, produce, juice and meats which are sold in supermarkets, natural foods stores and food cooperatives nationwide. For more information, call 1-888-444-MILK or visit www.organicvalley.coop.
