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Farming


Visit Our Farms Without Ever Leaving Your Couch!


Are you ready to be outdoors? So are we! Before you type “farm tours near me” in your search bar, here’s a little secret about Organic Valley: We’re bringing the outdoors indoors to you, wherever you’re at!

If you know anything about us, it’s that we take a holistic approach to pretty much everything we do, and today that means bringing our farms straight to you, courtesy of our YouTube channel. We’re sharing a few fun videos of our farmers giving virtual tours and showing how their animals are living the good life. So sit back, relax, and enjoy these mini farm tours from the comfort of your couch!

Organic Valley farmer, Jordan Settlage smiles holding his son in the pasture of his farm.

You might remember Jordan Settlage from our Veteran’s Day article. Jordan is a sixth-generation dairy farmer in Ohio. He lives on his 500-acre farm with his spouse and three kids, and the family has been a member of Organic Valley since 2016. He grew up on his family’s farm raising heifers, pigs, and beef cattle, and as a multi-generational farm, they were well established. So why go through the trouble of switching to certified organic farming? Jordan says, “The big reason is my family. We don’t have to worry about our kids getting into anything ‘gross’ because we’re not using any ‘-cides’ (pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, etc.) on our farm. That’s something we feel really good about.”

Tour the pastures with Jordan here! (Fun fact: Jordan shot this whole video himself on his phone!)

Doesn’t that look like the life? Depending on the region, Organic Valley dairy cows can spend up to six months on pasture each year. The rest of the time would be winter or a wet/dry season where the pasture isn’t growing, so the cows are fed stored forages and supplemental feed (just like how we humans eat preserved foods in the wintertime too).

A man and woman laugh and hold hands while walking in a pasture with cows behind them.

Julia Gasser with her husband, Greg, walking their pastures.

This is Julia Gasser. You might have seen Julia on Organic Valley’s Instagram feed. She shows off her farm frequently over there. Julia married into the Gasser family farm seven years ago. Her husband, Greg, is a fifth-generation farmer with his siblings and dad in Ohio. The Gasser family farm has been sending their 100% grass-fed milk to Organic Valley for 18 years! Hear how Julia’s cows enjoy a giant, nutritious salad bar every day and are 100% grass-fed all year long.

All that you see outside is inside the Organic Valley dairy products in your fridge! How awesome is that? The love and care that our farmers give their cows is evident in our delicious products.

Want to know more? How are cows 100% grass-fed in winter?

Moving from winter into spring, how about a joyous little video of cows romping and playing as they are let out to pasture for the first time in spring! This one is sure to put a smile on your face (and the kids will love it!)

Finally, Organic Valley’s original 12 episode series, Soul of Farming, gets to the heart of why our dairy farmers love what they do.

We hope you enjoyed this sampling of farm tours from the comfort of your home. We have many more great videos from our farms on Organic Valley’s YouTube channel.

And before you set that phone down to head out for a walk and some fresh air, don’t forget to subscribe and tell us what you thought! Enjoy!

Elizabeth McMullen works in public relations at Organic Valley. McMullen lives near the Mississippi River in the beautiful Driftless Region of Wisconsin. A self-proclaimed cow lover, she enjoys reading, being on the river and spending time with her family.

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  • animal care,
  • farm life