A Simple Message From Organic Valley Farmers: Thank You

Oct. 12 is National Farmer’s Day—a day to celebrate farmers. Many Organic Valley farmers are busy harvesting crops and preparing for winter. Though it’s National Farmer’s Day, they are also busy thinking about you—the consumer. They farm because they believe in providing quality, nutritious, and delicious food without the use of harsh chemicals. They care for the animals that provide for us and they work to leave the earth better than they found it.

Organic Valley was founded about 33 years ago when a handful of ambitious farmers got together—they were going to find a way for farmers to make a sustainable living by providing organic food to consumers. It was a groundbreaking, and some would say crazy idea. Crazy as it may have seemed, what started small continues to grow. A cooperative started by seven Midwestern farmers in 1988 now supports nearly 1,800 family farms. This growth would not be possible without people purchasing the organic food derived from their hard work.

We’d like to share many of the letters of gratitude written by real Organic Valley farmers, addressed to you.

We want to thank you for purchasing Organic Valley products and in that way helping to support our family as well as healthy and sustainable farming practices across the country.

We are a young Amish family living on a 100-acre farm in Maine. We married in 2013 and God has blessed us with four children (three boys and one girl) ages 6, 4, and 2 years old, and 8 months. We started milking cows for Organic Valley in spring of 2017 and are currently milking 42 cows—some Holsteins, some Jerseys, and several crosses. Besides the milking cows, we have 15 dry cows, a couple dairy/beef-cross calves, four Percheron horses, one buggy horse, and a 2-year-old filly, a pony, two dogs and their puppies, a cat, 20 laying hens, a pair of geese, and a pair of guinea hens.

Farming has meant learning curves and a lot of hard work, hectic at times, but it’s also been a rewarding blessing and we hope to continue raising our family in this setting. So we thank you again for your support and wish you a healthy year and continued enjoyment of Organic Valley products.

— Esch Family

A note to thank you for allowing us to share our milk with you. We grow grass for our 50 Jersey cows in the beautiful hills of New York. With a family of seven, two girls, and five boys, we have lots of help and lots of fun on the farm. We couldn’t do what we do without your help as a loyal customer. We hope you enjoy what we produce as much as we do.

— Stoll Family

Thank you for your purchase from Organic Valley! We are a sixth-generation family farm raising organic Black Angus beef near Waukon, Iowa. Our family has raised Angus cattle for over 100 years. We were certified organic in 2017 and have always been non-GMO. Your support of organic family farms is greatly appreciated!

— Bieber Family

We are a family farm in LaGrange, Indiana. We milk 35 cows and farm with horses. We have chickens and ducks and birds for fly control. We try to keep our cows as comfortable as possible. We are certified organic since 2015. Thank you for purchasing Organic Valley products. Your purchase makes it possible for our seven boys and two girls, wife, and I to all stay on the farm and help each other.

— J. Miller

My family would like to thank you for being an Organic Valley consumer. We milk Jersey cows in Wisconsin. Our farm has been in the family since 1854. We do our best to produce wholesome milk for people like you!

— H. Menn

My husband and I have a small ridgetop farm in rural Wisconsin. We have enjoyed raising our three sons, a couple of horses, a pet donkey, and many organic laying hens on our land. The laying hens produce organic brown eggs that are shipped to Organic Valley and then off to the market.

Our son, Bryce, is keeping the organic family farming tradition going. He has organic milking cows and also organic laying hens. Fresh milk and eggs from his farm are also shipped to Organic Valley. We truly appreciate you! Thank you for supporting our family farm!

— Dan and Laurie

P.S. We hope that some day our little grandson, Archie, will love the land too!

I’m from Pembroke, Kentucky. I’m 20 years old and have been farming for two years with the help of my brother who is 15 years old. We’re currently milking 35 cows and our cows generally get to enjoy about 14 hours a day of lush green grass, and sunshine during spring, summer, and fall. I highly appreciate the Organic Valley consumers that make this possible and I hope you can keep enjoying these great foods.

— R. King

Organic Valley is part of our livelihood as far as us making a living on the farm. They make sure you get good fresh food processed from milk from our pasture-raised cows. Thank you for buying fresh organic milk, meat, and eggs

— E. Glick

Thank you for helping Organic Valley dairy farmers make a living doing what we enjoy! On our 40-cow dairy in Shipshewana, Indiana, we are the fourth-generation of farmers. We have five children, ages 17, 15, 13, 10, and 6. We farm our 150 acres with Belgian horses (we are Amish). We raise 15 chickens to supply us with brown eggs. I enjoy using them to make baked goods (along with Organic Valley butter and cream cheese) and also for breakfasts of eggs, meat, etc. We have a garden in which we grow lots of veggies, melons, and strawberries.

We all enjoy putting up hay (mowing, raking, and baling). In the fall my husband and neighbor farmers help each other chop corn for silage, then we pick the rest as ear corn. Our favorite Organic Valley products are butter and ghee but all are wonderful. Thank you again for helping us be able to raise our families the way we’ve been taught for years.

— JAB Family Farm