Milk Sourcing
To meet the demand for our brand, we are constantly in conversation with farmers across the country about joining our cooperative, transitioning to organic, and building a future for family farms.
If you know a farmer who might be interested in going organic, or if you are one yourself, visit farmers.coop to learn more. And if you want to better understand where your milk comes from, keep reading.
The Organic Family Farms of Our Cooperative
More than 1,500 family farms choose to farm organically as member-owners of our cooperative. Every farm that joins must meet USDA Certified Organic requirements, including annual inspections by a third-party certifier and detailed recordkeeping to verify compliance with national organic standards.
Our standards go further. As a cooperative, our farmers agree to additional policies shaped by fellow farmers through our governance process. These standards cover how milk is produced, how animals are cared for, and how farms operate day to day.
Across our membership, the average herd size remains below 70 cows per farm. Farms are required to provide daily outdoor access and ensure cows graze on pasture during the grazing season for at least 120 days each year plus anytime weather allows. These practices are central to how we farm and to the quality of the milk we produce.
When Demand Is Higher Than Supply
At times, demand for Organic Valley products outpaces what our member farms alone can supply. Organic dairy production cannot be scaled overnight, and transitioning to organic takes time, commitment, and investment.
When that happens, we work carefully to bridge the gap. Our team visits other organic family farms that meet the same standards we expect of our own members. In some cases, these farmers are not ready to join the cooperative, but they share our approach to organic farming and produce milk that aligns with our expectations for quality and care.
In those situations, we may establish a relationship to source milk from a small number of these farms. While these non-member farms may have larger herd sizes than the average across our cooperative, they are still family farms committed to organic practices. Even with their inclusion, our overall herd size remains well below industry norms.
How We Bring It All Together
Organic Valley exists to market the milk produced by our farmer-owners. At times, to operate efficiently and meet demand, we also market a limited amount of milk from non-member farms that meet our standards.
No matter where the milk originates, the expectations are the same. Every farm we work with must meet strict organic requirements, and every drop of milk is handled with care from the farm to the shelf. That consistency matters to us because it is what our farmers stand behind and what our customers trust.