What’s old is new
A family legacy of exploration leads to new organic frontiers.
When Gary Moore’s grandfather was just 15 years old, he decided to make the journey from Switzerland to the United States—on his own. He made his way across the Atlantic to the East Coast, travelled to Wisconsin to milk cows by hand, and finally trekked across the US to Oregon where he would buy his first acres.
About 70 years later Gary’s grandfather’s farm, Cloud Cap Dairy, would get a visit from another adventurer: Organic Valley CEO George Siemon.
“He sat in this chair I’m sitting in right now,” Gary says. “We talked about different philosophies of farming.” After the conversation, the farm transitioned into a revolutionary organic way of farming.
Now, Gary and Connie’s daughter Melissa and her husband Andy work to pasture cows on an organic dairy that is even more active now than it was in 1924.
“We really like our cows, so it’s great to see how much healthier and happier they are now that we’ve transitioned to organic,” says Gary.
Their daughter Melissa even works for Organic Valley when she can tear herself away from the farm, helping innovate in the organic food system on top of farming duties.
“We are so lucky that my parents really want us to be a part of the farm,” says Melissa. “Our kids love to help Grandpa, Grandma, Dad and me.”
Now there is a 5th generation being raised on Cloud Cap Dairy who will carry on the legacy of exploration and invention that began nearly a century ago.