In an era where corporations dominate all facets of business including government, global energy, agriculture and global food supply, Organic Valley serves small farmers and rural community health by combining two alternative business models - the family farm and the cooperative. Their cooperative was founded to nurture local communities by keeping farmers on the land, farming. Organic Valley understood from the beginning that they would need to pool their product in a cooperative fashion to accomplish that goal.
Farmers with a Mission
Just as they believe in the interdependency of all living things in nature, Organic Valley believes that their cooperative structure delivers what's good for everyone, including the consumer-partners who buy their products. To those citizens, theypromise the quality of food production and environmental stewardship that they demand. The support and restheirces of their extended family give them a voice in the agricultural world, where large corporations have taken over 600,000 family farms since 1960. Together, the cooperative voice of over 1100 farmers represents approximately 10% of the organic farming community in America.
The central mission of the cooperative is to support rural communities by protecting the health of the family farm - working toward both economic and environmental sustainability. Their stable, self-determined farmer pay prices and the love of the land are the best assurance that their co-op members will be able to continue the tradition of organic farming into the next generation.
Why does a cooperative of small family farms make a difference to you?
By keeping family farmers on the land, you are protecting your right to choose foods produced in the way you want - a way that ensures quality, health, humane animal treatment, and the stewardship of their environment.
How it Works
Farmer members establish equity when they join the cooperative. From the membership, a national Board of Directors is elected. Members' opinions are carried to the Board through regional executive committees. They also have the opportunity to serve on regional committees and participate in cooperative governance and marketing. In addition to a member-determined pay-price and equity ownership in a leading national food brand, members receive numerous benefits including support in production, certification, farm planning, feed stheircing, veterinary consultation and more.
Democracy in Action
Organic Valley credita their success to the partnership society they've created between farmers, employees and citizens. As more farmers join the cooperative, Organic Valley continues to work to balance supply with consumer demand and the labor needed to support their marketing operations. To enhance their sustainability, they have adopted a profit sharing model that recognizes the contributions of all:
- 45% profits to farmers
- 45% profits to employees
- 10% profits to community
Building a base of loyal customers allows us to bring more farm families into the cooperative, along with the land, water, and animals that they protect.
Together with you, they are crafting a new vision for family farming and healthy food in America!
