Healthy, Humane, and Kosher*

Organic Valley is a farmer-owned co-op. It all started in 1988 with seven founding farmers. Today the cooperative has  grown  to 1,652 families producing 200 organic products, most of which are kosher!  In the past 22 years, family farms from across the country have joined the co-op. This expansion has empowered Organic Valley to create regional models, letting people buy milk from farms close to home.

When the co-op was founded over two decades ago, there were no official government guidelines for organic. To this day, the farmers of Organic Valley have an enhanced understanding and requirement for organic production that even surpasses the laws and guidelines of the USDA. They require “100% organic feed, outdoor access, pasture, and comfy living quarters for all livestock. Staff veterinarians and an animal wellness expert help our farmer members to manage the health of their herds.”

According to Organic Valley, “We think of organic in terms of interdependence—between customers, farmers, employees, communities, animals, and the earth.”  Since its inception, the co-op has expanded its scope and production and has been recognized with awards in numerous categories. One thing remains the same; all Organic Valley foods are produced without antibiotics, synthetic hormones, or pesticides. *Most of their products are kosher certified by the OU including butter, yogurt, eggs, juice, milk and soy milk. (Do check the item when purchasing)

With the help of Organic Valley, the importance of the family farm has returned to America’s forefront.  KosherEye was fortunate enough to visit one of these very special farms – Kathy and Ron Holter’s farm in Jefferson, Maryland. We had the pleasure of meeting Ron and his son Adam. It was an extremely informative experience and one we would like to share with our KosherEye readers.

Please visit OrganicValleyCoop.org for more information and enjoy the many coupons offered on their site.