Organic Valley is not just seeking more milk but actively welcoming more farmers. The cooperative has brought 84 family farms into its fold in 2023. They plan to welcome more in 2024.
Organic Valley is the largest cooperative of organic farmers in the nation. The cooperative, founded in 1988, is based in La Farge, Wisconsin. Today, more than 1,600 organic family farms own the cooperative.
“This is who we are,” says Shawna Nelson, Organic Valley executive vice president of membership. “Last year, we brought in farms that were abruptly dropped by their milk buyers, and this year, we’ve welcomed 84 more into our organic dairy community.”
In a release, Organic Valley wrote that it is flipping the script by welcoming dozens of farms during a year marked by significant challenges for family farms and rural communities.
“Our commitment to organic family farmers is unwavering,” says Nelson. “We aim to be the go-to option for those seeking a stable future in farming.”
The cooperative welcomed a dozen farms from Wisconsin. It also added 26 farms from Pennsylvania, 22 in New York, six from Ohio, and several others from Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota and Vermont.