Organic Valley cows and chickens grazing in a field together.

We Give A Cluck About

Our Animals

When you know the cows and chickens that helped produce your milk, eggs, butter, and cheese were treated with care — year round outdoor access, grazing on pasture in season, not confined in barns 24/7 — you can feel good about what’s on your plate. All of our farms are routinely inspected to uphold federal organic standards required by the certification. Our farmers uphold both USDA Organic standards and our own Dairy Animal Care Standards.

Pasture-Raised
Unlike most conventional farm cows, all Organic Valley cows are pasture-raised, which means that they spend time on pasture each day of the grazing season, well, grazing. Organic regulations require that cows get at least 120 days a year grazing in pastures. Many of our farms report that the cows spend even more time outside than what organic regulations require.
Take A Pasture Tour
Smaller herds. One-on-one care.
Our average herd size is 70 cows, which is 4.5 times smaller than the national dairy herd average. That means every animal can get the attention they deserve.
High-Quality, Organic Diets
We care about what our animals eat. Our farmers test their animal feed to ensure cows are getting a high-quality diet.
Natural, Holistic Care
We raise our animals without artificial growth hormones or antibiotics*, and nothing they eat has ever been sprayed with synthetic pesticides. This adds up to longer, more natural lives for our cows —something we care about and you can feel good about, too.
*But we also appreciate that if these things don’t work, we can give antibiotics. We never tolerate allowing an animal to suffer. But if we give antibiotics, the animal is no longer organic and must be removed from the organic herd.
Occasional Spa Days
Some of our farms even provide a foot bath for cows to walk through to help maintain hoof health.
Free to Forage™
Free to Forage^™ is our way of clarifying what works best for our birds. Organic Valley hens must have access to fresh air, sunshine, and organic pasture, which means their outdoor space must be free of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and GMO plants.
Read More About Our Hen Care Standards