A windmill sitting on a hillside of green gras amongst a blue, cloudy sky.

Sustainability, it's been our thing since day one.

30 years in, it’s still the heart and soul of being organic.

Socially, economically, environmentally: sustainability never settles.

Solar. Community. Future.

How do you improve rural America? By working together. This is the story of how dreamers turned into doers, bringing solar to rural communities while making Organic Valley 100% renewable-powered.

Powering the Good, 100%

We are building on our commitment to protect our natural environment. Organic Valley sources all of the electricity for its owned facilities from 100% renewable energy. And it happened through partnership and cooperation.

Farmers and family holding a large earth in a cow pasture surounded by cows.

Can Dairy Farming be Carbon Positive?

Three Organic Valley cooperative member farms are breaking ground on a new, higher bar for carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions reductions called Climate-Smart Farming (CSF), with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality, or even a carbon-positive position.

Dr. Silvia in Senegal

Our in-house animal nutritionist Dr. Silvia Abel-Caines, spent two weeks on an inspiring, boots-on-the-ground example of Principle 6: Cooperation Among Cooperatives. Dr. Silvia’s mission consisted of volunteering her expertise to the Dental Hayre women’s cooperative in the West African nation of Senegal.

Farm

Can Dairy Farming be Carbon Positive?

Three Organic Valley cooperative member farms are breaking ground on a new, higher bar for carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

Farmer and son holding hands and walking with cows and farm dog in pasture.

Partnerships for the Good

Organic Valley’s sustainability team is partnering with the sustainability folks at Annie’s Organic, The Carbon Cycle Institute and the California Resource Conservation Districts to develop comprehensive dairy Carbon Farm Plans, which take into account whole-farm carbon flows.

Organic to Our Roots

Always been, always will be. Organic before organic was a thing. We helped write the rules for organic farming more than 20 years ago, because we wanted “organic” to maintain its integrity.

Rooney farmers installing an Organic Valley sign on their barn.

A Model Business Model

Proudly cooperative. Fiercely independent. Not to mention: mighty successful. Staying true to a handful of simple principles has helped our mission blossom: delivering a farmer-owned, organically-driven, sustainable business model that prioritizes the health of family farms and consumers.

A farm mom holding her son while walking in the pasture lane.

The Beauty of Well-Run Farms

Since 2008, we’ve helped secure nearly $8 million in government and private grant funds for our member farms. These funds go directly into the hands of our farmer-members who, in turn, make investments in the sustainability of their farm operations.

Cows standing outdoors in fresh pasture.

First-Class Animal Care

Organic Valley cows are some of the healthiest around. Because they are allowed to express natural behaviors in their own time, in their own way, without unnatural pressure to maximize yields. Just as it should be.

Farming family together on a cow pasture laughing and smiling.

Real Farms, Real People

Organic Valley is the largest organic farmer cooperative in the world. That means our business model works—for member farmers, our co-op at large, and for our mission of taking organic food and farming to as broad an audience as possible.

Environment

Organic Valley Community Solar Partnership

Organic Valley sources all of the electricity for its owned facilities from 100% renewable energy. And it happened through partnership and cooperation.

Field of clover with white and purple flowers.

Shutting Out Greenhouse Gas

Greater strides for a smaller footprint. The very nature of our business is threatened by a changing climate. By lessening the impact of our processes on our earth, the greater impact we will make on our lives.

Healthy Soil at the Root of Goodness

We don’t treat soil like dirt. Healthy soil, healthy plants, healthy animals, healthy people. Organic farming keeps pesticides off the earth and out of our soil – over 440 million lbs. of pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers kept off the land since 1988.

You

Man preparing salad in kitchen with Organic Valley shredded cheese.

Local to You

The shortest route to good. From cow to consumer, local matters. Working with a local-first focus reduces “food miles” and keeps our supply chain tight and efficient. And by working with many different local bottling companies, real jobs get created and local economies get boosted.

Pasture-Raised Dairy

Sustainable, organic nirvana: 100% grass-fed dairy. Doubling down on the Organic Valley mission. Our Grassmilk® products use dairy from 100% grass-fed cows on farms where the right soil and environmental conditions allows farmers to feed cows only grass and dried forages throughout the year.

The Ihm family standing together on their farm, Organic View, in Lancaster, WI.

Ihm Organic View Farms - John and Deb Ihm of Grant County, Wisconsin

The Ihms have worked closely with Organic Valley’s Sustainability Team to develop alternative energy on their farm. In 2011, they installed a 21.5kW solar electric system in the hen paddock. Not only does it produce all the power needed for the chicken barn, but it produces excess to sell back to the local utility.

The Hardy family on their Organic Valley farm.

David Hardy - Aaron and Sarah Hardy of Herkimer County, New York

Son of long-time Organic Valley farmer owners David and Susan Hardy, Aaron and his wife Sarah now operate Arabeth Farm—a start-up, certified organic, grassfed beef farm. They received a New York State New Farmers Grant of $50,000 to assist with the construction of a cattle barn, purchase of a skid steer and new pasture fencing.

Leon and Linda Corse with their daughter Abbie.

The Corse Farm Dairy LLC - Leon, Linda and Abbie Corse of Windham County, Vermont

Leon Corse is the fifth generation of Corses on their 400-acre farm in southern Vermont. With the help of a USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Grant $23,917, they installed a 32.37kW solar electric system to offset 130% of the farm’s annual nonrenewable electricity consumption resulting in an annual energy cost savings of more than 100%.

The Pierson family standing together on their farm, Sar-Ben Farms Inc., in St. Paul, OR.

Sar-Ben Farms, Inc. - Steve and Susan Pierson along with their sons Kevin and Ryan of Marion County, Oregon

Thanks to Organic Valley’s sustainability department, we were able to get grants to help us expand our vision by installing a 30kW solar electric system that offsets 10% of the farm’s annual nonrenewable electricity consumption.

Brekken standing on their Organic Valley farm.

Organic Valley Farm - Robin and Karen Brekken of Crookston, Minnesota

Sustainability’s Resource Development Program helped Robin secure more than $350,000 in grants from USDA and the state of Minnesota to purchase and develop a value-added feed pelletizing system that will turn potential crop losses of $230,000 into a potential financial gain of $460,000.

Heritage Acres - Rick Langland of Iowa, recipient of the 2016 Leadership n Sustainability Award

Rick turned his drive and intelligence toward energy use on his farm with an eye to reducing consumption of non-renewable energy. Rick worked with Organic Valley's Sustainability Department, and they secured more than $63,000 in grant funding and technical assistance to install a solar system that provides almost 75% of the farm’s electricity needs.

Jim and Susan Regli and family on their organic farm, Regli Jersey Reas Creek.

Regli Jersey Reas Creek - Jim and Susan Regli of Humboldt County, California

The Reglis were awarded a $533,141 California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) grant, along with an additional $200,073 from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The projects implemented on the Reglis’s farm will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve water quality and soil health.

Kevin Mahalko holding an award for Leadership in Sustainability.

Mahalko Dairy - Kevin Mahalko of Wisconsin, recipient of the 2017 Leadering in Sustainability Award

Carbon gases are a leading cause of climate change, but well-managed, organic grassland pulls carbon gas from the atmosphere and sequesters it in the soil and plant roots. The farm’s long history of managed grazing and pasture improvements has resulted in a 67% increase in soil organic matter.

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