Why thinking consumers boycott products from Organic Valley due to its egregious business practices against member farms that border on modern feudalism.
In a very quiet decision that received little media attention even within the natural foods industry, the board of directors of Organic Valley recently voted 4-3 to ban the farmers which make up its 1600 small farm cooperative from selling raw milk to consumers on the side.
The company cited legal concerns and complaints from farmers regarding competition as its reasons for the decision. This is sheer and utter nonsense and a perfect example of corporate smoke and mirrors. The attorneys for Organic Valley even admit that the legal issues are nothing to worry about in actuality.
And, the competition issue? It’s not farmers complaining about competition that is the true worry for Organic Valley.
The truth is the company is terrified of the surging popularity of raw milk. This market trend combined with an increasingly savvy and informed consumer that is rapidly moving away from processed milk and back to the “fresh from the farm” variety threatens to affect company profits over the long haul.
Indeed, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of pasteurization, particularly ultra pasteurization, the type of milk processing favored by Organic Valley for its Grade A milk.
With this knowledge, consumers are seeking out farmers directly for their fresh dairy which ultimately threatens to stagnate profit growth for Organic Valley if this type of trend continues (all indications are that it will).
In an attempt to strangle the competition, protect its source of supply and handcuff its farmers from making revenue elsewhere, Organic Valley has chosen the “bully the farmer” approach to managing its small farm cooperative. The company has now become more like the mega-dairy processors it claims to abhor who make a habit of pushing farmers around to line the pockets of its own executives and to aggressively protect their market interests.
Boycott All Organic Valley Products!
Organic Valley has shown its true colors with this decision.
Taking a step in this direction indicates a basic company disregard and disrespect for farmer independence and consumer choice.
Forbidding what a farmer does with his time and product outside of his contract with Organic Valley is a blow below the belt and just plain wrong.
Direct sales to the consumer are one of the smartest business decisions a small farmer can make to keep his operation profitable. Forbidding this type of activity threatens the economic sustainability of its small farms, ironically one of Organic Valley’s stated goals.
Such an outrageous and hypocritical corporate decision requires swift and decisive action on the part of the consumer.
For my part, I will no longer be buying any Organic Valley products.
I never did buy their milk, but I will no longer buy their cheese, butter, or other dairy items either.
I hope you will join me in a boycott of this company that pretends to be a friend of the environment, farmers, and consumers but is nothing short of a wolf in sheep’s clothing to the sustainable and local family farm movement.
Organic Valley’s business practices are simply a modern form of feudalism that benefits the nobles and squashes the peasants.
Jerry (of Organic Valley Cooperative Affairs), it's all about the money and control of your source of supply. Take off your blinders and see the truth. If you persist in denying the obvious, your company will feel it where it hurts with reduced profits from thousands of consumers just like me refusing to buy your goods. You have no right to control your farmers in this manner and your company is a bunch of hypocrites for doing so. REPEAL THIS DECISION NOW. Justifying the decision with corporate mumbo jumbo.
Sarah,
I’m reall happy to see this discussion about Organic Valley… When we began wintering in Fl 4 yrs. ago, I spent hours and miles searching for healthy cream/milk. Unfortunately, all dairy products in Fl seem to be ULTRA-PASTUERIZED ! … My question to the farmers who make up O.V. coop: why even bother producing Organic milk?
I wrote in desperation to O.V. questioning their lofty Mission Statement and their intent.
in turn, I received a sappy, long explanation stating that many consumers live great distances from markets and cannot get to the stores, maybe only once a week. Does this reveal what ULTRA-PASTUERISED really means? It is dead food. completely unfit for human consumption. I am not a milk drinker, (from a Mediterranean heritage) so once weaned, milk would only be used in a latte, OR heavy cream for cooking or desserts. I raised my children on raw milk from a neighbors beautiful jersey cows.
They survived and are all beautiful with magnificent teeth. So, I would strongly urge O.V. to reconsider their motives and mission… After all, when is enough profit enough?
My conscience would get in my way, especially when it comes to children…. I feel name calling is not appropriate, I would appeal to the ethical standards of O.V. board to raise the bar and evolve!
with kind regards
a Vermonter
"It came to our attention because of farmers [complaining]," says Travis Forgues, a Vermont dairy farmer and a member of the board who voted to boot dairies that persist in selling some of their milk unpasteurized. "Raw milk sales for some of [the members] became a major part of their business. This did not sit well with some farmers…You have farmers selling milk against us."
http://www.grist.org/article/organic-valley-confronts-its-most-serious-crisis-ever-over-raw-milk/
It was because of a few jealous farmers that something had to be done about raw milk. What a sad day for organics. It's turned into nothing but $$$$$$$$.
Here's what I wrote to OV —
I'm truly sorry that you had to choose this decision. Perhaps the board should walk a mile in the Farmer's shoes and the raw milk consumer's shoes. Please re-think this decision. When is it better for the coop when it is not better for the consumer or the farmer?
I believe that raw milk and raw milk products are better and the small amount of sales that your farmers do on the side is so small that I'm surprised that you are concerned.
Perhaps, you have lost the focus of why we want and purchase organic foods. Don't let the strong arm of government sway you from your founding beliefs.
Be strong, be a voice and your customers will continue to support you by buying your products.
Otherwise we will support with our purchasing dollars another brand.
Hello,
We respect the consumer’s right to voice an opinion, and the 1,631 farmers who own Organic Valley cooperative would also like an opportunity to correct some untruths in order for readers to make an informed decision regarding the Board of Directors’ choice to not allow on-farm raw milk sales by its membership:
– Organic Valley is not “terrified of the surging popularity of raw milk.” We support consumer choice, but we are simply not in the raw milk business. When our farmers join the co-op, they sign a membership agreement which pledges 100% of their milk to the co-op (with the exception of milk used for calves and their own families). In return, they get access to a stable, sustainable pay price and the power of the Organic Valley brand.
– This was not a “very quiet decision.” It was an inclusive and drawn-out process which lasted nearly a year, a process through which our farmer-owners had opportunity to voice their opinions.
– In the final decision, the Board of Directors — which consists of farmer representatives elected by the membership — took the conservative approach in order to focus on our mission of keeping our cooperative and brands strong for future generations of organic family farmers.
Consumers vote with their dollars, and you may do so if you wish. However, it is important to remember that because Organic Valley is owned by farmers, a boycott would negatively impact 1,631 farmers, some of which may be located in your area.
For more information about cooperative business structure and how our farmers govern the Organic Valley co-op, please visit http://www.organicvalley.coop/about-us/our-cooperative/.
In Cooperation,
Jerry McGeorge
Cooperative Affairs Director, Organic Valley
You are so right .. thank you for the comment. This decision is all about profits for Organic Valley, NOT about the farmers. One farmer has no right to tell another farmer not to sell raw milk on the side, nor does a corporation. Farmers need to be free to make their own business decisions. Otherwise, the economic viability of the small farm model is threatened. Organic Valley is clearly only interested in its own economic viability, not the farmers in its cooperative.
Thanks for this information. Let's consider, WHO benefits from this decision – the farmers or the corporation? Why was this an issue to begin with? According to the press release, "At the request of the membership at the co-op’s most recent annual meeting, the board wanted to end this drawn out raw milk debate, and they took the more conservative route, to prohibit the farmer-owners from being in the raw milk business."
Maybe I am missing something but why was this such a hot topic to begin with? Except that the raw milk sales may have been threatening commercial sales? Since when does direct to consumer sales compete with big business?
They furthermore report that they are not against raw milk, in fact – "We have let our farmers sell raw milk on the side for two decades." They have LET them sell raw milk. Why not continue? Where's the harm? I don't get it. I am so glad I get my milk from a local farmer. I feel for those involved in this craziness.
As a seventh generation farmer in NY I hope the OV farms can diversify their sales. I've seen a lot of my nearby farms go out of business because they sold only to one buyer, often a big company like the last person. In the last two generations it has become impossible to have only one product or only one buyer and not go under. The only reason we have been able to keep our farm going is because we sell dairy, beef, pork, produce and specialized farm accounting software. We sell to butchers, groceries and directly to people. If OV restricts their farmers from having more than one way to make sales they are hurting the farmers. If the farmers want this, they are hurting themselves. It's a noble job, but you have to do it smart.
Hi Kelly, I apppreciate your situation and opinion, but whether the board is made up of farmers or not, Organic Valley is a huge corporation which has NO RIGHT to tell farmers what to do with their time and product outside of their contract with the company. I still am fully boycotting Organic Valley until this egregious bully tactic is lifted. Organic Valley is a fake .. they are no friend of the sustainable small farm movement and need to be exposed as such.
I am one of the Organic Valley dairy farmers in Oregon. My husband and I milk 120 Jerseys while raising our 3 daughters with 100% of our income from our milk sales to Organic Valley. We are very proud to be part of the "family of farms"! The cooperative made it possible for us to start a farm 2 years out of college after interning on another Organic dairy and make a living at it! The coop has done amazing things for the organic dairy industry and has only the best interest of the farmers in mind with all decisions made by the members for the members. Our board is made up of 7 farmers within the coop. They are elected by the farmers and only by the farmers. Any decisions they make are "our" decisions and not made by some executive sitting in an office somewhere in a big city. We are a cooperative of farmers, nothing resembling a corporation.
Please think of me and my family and the other 1600 farm families working 7 days a week to produce the highest quality organic milk and dairy products we possibly can for families all across our great country when you swear off products from the greatest model for saving family farms that's ever existed.
I posted it on Facebook. Word will spread quickly. OV will quickly be aware that this is happening.