Story originally printed in the Vernon Broadcaster or online at www.vernonbroadcaster.com
Published - Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Organic Valley milestone forged through work, ideals
The Organic Valley Family of Farms is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
It’s hard to believe that 20 years have passed since those first seven founding farmers joined together. High ideals coupled with hard work have helped Organic Valley climb from its origins as the Coulee Region Organic Produce Pool (CROPP) into the household brand it has become.
More than being a brand of quality organic foods, Organic Valley is truly a celebration of working together. Today it has more than 1,200 farmers in 34 states and one Canadian province. Revenues continue to grow by leaps and bounds, topping $432 million in 2007.
When CROPP was first formed, its management used doors propped on apple crates to make their first desks. Things are quite different today at the cooperative’s headquarters in La Farge. The large upstairs conference room has window views of ridges overlooking the Kickapoo Reserve. It’s the type of view that reminds a person that it took a broad vision to mold Organic Valley into what it is today. It took a great deal of team work and belief.
Organic Valley has centered itself as being something that people can believe in. Whether it’s the member farmer who receives a stable pay price, the consumer purchasing Organic Valley products at the store or the hundreds of employees of the cooperative, who have managed the meteoric rise, they are all a part of something to believe in.
We live in an area that believes strongly in cooperatives. People care about family farms and our rural communities. We value keeping the land, water and air as clean as possible while also being progressive and improving our way of life. Organic Valley embodies all of these things and much more.
Organic Valley has become a good neighbor and truly something to believe in here among the communities of the Kickapoo Valley. We congratulate them on 20 years and can’t wait to see what the future holds.
All stories copyright 2006 Vernon Broadcaster and other attributed sources.