LA FARGE, Wis.—At its annual meeting in La Crosse, Wis., Organic Valley Family of Farms, the nation’s largest cooperative of organic family farmers and one of the nation's leading organic brands, is reporting record sales of $528 million in 2008, a 22 percent increase over 2007.
The cooperative, with 1,332 farmers in 32 states and one Canadian province, expects 2009 sales to reach $549 million, a 4 percent increase. In 2007, sales increased 29 percent over 2006 to $432.5 million. During the past five years, Organic Valley’s sales have grown nearly 153 percent.
In 2008, Organic Valley provided almost $1.2 million in cash and food contributions to 586 nonprofits, educational institutions and other similar organizations in the local communities and regions of its farmer-owners. The co-op strives to support organizations that are champions in family farming, rural communities, organic research, organic education and promotion, humane animal treatment, environmental education and preservation and child wellness. Nearly half of the total dollars contributed originated from Organic Valley's FAFO (Farmers Advocating for Organics) Fund, a program completely funded and managed by the farmer-owners of the cooperative. Among FAFO's largest grants in 2008: $45,000 to the University of Minnesota - Southwest Research & Outreach Center, for two studies: "No-Till Organic Research" and "High Tunnel Season Extension of Vegetable Crops"; $38,016 to the University of Vermont Extension, to study the feasibility and season extension of cereal grains as a source of organic feed; $25,000 to Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service, to expand their "Help Wanted: Organic Farmers" program as a way to recruit and support new and transitioning organic farmers; $25,000 to Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (now merged with National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture and known as National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition), for advocacy and oversight of the implementation of organic farming programs in the 2008 Farm Bill; and more than $1 million in food to more than 20 food shelters and food banks nationwide, with Feed the Children (based in Oklahoma), God's People Helping People (Wisconsin), Feeding America (Chicago), Capital Area Food Bank (Washington, DC), and Birch Community Services (Portland, Ore.) among the largest recipients.
The co-op also released their calculations of the total synthetic chemicals and performance enhancing drugs its farmer-owners have kept off the land and away from animals during the last 20 years. To determine this figure, Organic Valley compared its member farm data from the past 20 years to USDA estimates of synthetic chemical and performance enhancing drug usage on U.S. conventional farms during the same period. Through these calculations, Organic Valley estimates the cooperative avoided 58 million pounds of synthetic nitrogen; 605,747 doses of performance enhancing drugs administered to animals, including 271,948 doses of rBGH and 338,798 doses of antimicrobial. The cooperative will release more detailed information this month on avoided inputs and producer pay premiums on a state-by-state basis.