Louise Hemstead: Chief Operating Officer

Louise Hemstead's food science career spans over two decades in the dairy industry. For the past twelve years, Louise has worked for Organic Valley in rural La Farge, Wisconsin.

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, Louise currently serves as Chief Operating Officer of Organic Valley. She manages all operational aspects of the business—from farm milk pickup to finished goods delivery—including product research, quality assurance, organic certification, production scheduling and logistics.

Prior to her Organic Valley tenure, Louise was affiliated with AMPI—Morning Glory Farms Region. As laboratory supervisor, and later, as regional quality assurance supervisor, she handled raw-milk laboratory production, both locally and throughout the region.

Louise holds a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She is a member of the Institute of Food Technologists and the Wisconsin Association of Milk and Food Sanitarians. She also belongs to and is an immediate past board member of the Wisconsin Specialty Cheese Institute and is a Wisconsin State Licensed Cheesemaker.

As a dedicated conservationist and farmer, Louise has sat on the Kickapoo Reserve Land Management Committee, an advisory committee to a local management board overseeing the controversial aborted Kickapoo Lake project. She currently serves on the La Farge School Board and is an active church leader, directing the local Bell Choir and serving on the Church Council for the past ten years.

She and her husband David and their two children own and operate a fourth generation family organic dairy farm near La Farge.