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. Â 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. Â Â 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.
I wrote about why I don't buy OV products a few months back. Before this decision even came out. Their quality standards seemed low, and they sell many products that are not healthy (soy, powdered milk, sour cream that contains additives, etc.). This decision doesn't surprise me at all. OV, despite what some may say, is NOT about farmers and consumers anymore. They are about profits and keeping up with a mainstream market.
And yet, I, the farmer, say it IS about family farms. I’m on the inside, you’re on the outside. Please stop telling people what they should believe about OV based on your faulty observances. Here’s something you might not know. A few years back, when the production of OV milk boomed, we, as a co-operation decided to limit each farm’s output. This was in accordance of the law of supply and demand, and sustained the FARMERS. This would not have taken place if OV was all about making money. If it was, the co-op farmers are fools, since dairying is one good way to never quite make ends meet.
Does this have anything to do with OV's decision?
http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/article_ec303942-6945-11df-9bd1-001cc4c002e0.html
Interesting and I totally agree with you. Although, I would have changed the word utterly to udderly. :o)
In all seriousness….itsn't it a shame how the corporate world puts it's grimy little fingerprints all over everything?
I am noticing that most of the blog comments by OV farmers opposed to the ban are anonymous while the posts by OV farmers for the ban are not. Could it be that the OV farmers opposed to the ban fear persecution by OV if they speak out?
Sarah-
This is a ridiculous idea, since the people who opposed the very decision are already known to OV, and are NOT discriminated against, or persecuted in the least. I know some of them. They have a right to their own ideals, and we respect them. However, I don’t see how you can be so worked up about a DEMOCRATICALLY instituted decision. OV dairymen have better representation within their own co-operation, than they do in their in county, state, or national governments. (1 vote out of about 1800)
Another thing I should mention is that another reason for this decision, is that OV is in NORTH AMERICA, not only the U.S. In other words, we have family farmers in Canada, too, which is a country that allows absolutely NO sale whatsoever of raw milk. No offense, but you do NOT know more about the circumstances behind this decision, and what’s good for the farmers, than a group of them who have VERY carefully considered this.
I wish you would understand that a vote should NEVER have been taken on this. What you are saying is akin to taking a vote to stop a certain member farm from attending a certain church or choosing a certain school for their children. It is NONE OF OV’s BUSINESS what the member farm does with it’s extra milk and if they choose to sell it raw. It’s amazing to me how people are able to justify and rationalize to themselves UNETHICAL behavior.
Here are a few places to find small local farms.
http://www.eatwild.com/products/index.html
http://www.localharvest.org/
These folks put out a quarterly magazine that has adds from dozens of small farms producing grass fed and organic, but not always certified, meat, poultry, and dairy products.
http://www.westonaprice.org/
http://www.locavores.com/
http://100milediet.org/
Abbie said "This information should encourage you as a consumer to write to OV and explain why you feel a boycott is the only answer, why you're upset. Try to make a difference if you're really that concerned about the decision that OV has made. Were there to be some energy put towards that as opposed to slinging mud around blogs, perhaps there could be change afoot."
Um, I think she is making a difference. Can you tell me what good it would do to just write to OV and tell them about it? I think a LOT of people are doing that already. I have heard of no announcements changing the decision.
Slinging mud????? Wow! does OV sit on a pedestal?….Do NOT question OV….they are perfect….they can do no wrong….If you so much as question their corporate ways…you are evil and slinging mud. Just write a nice little letter and shut up!
Farmer Jon said "I'm amazed that a consumer would boycott our products while buying from a company sourcing milk from a 25000 cow dairy."
Didn't OV buy milk from a 7200 cow dairy? I hope they aren't still buying milk from ANY non members if they are so worried about a little farmer building a business on their back. That would be hypocritical to the max!!!!
We want 100% of your milk, even though we will pay you less for "over quota" milk, while we buy milk on the side from other sources. Please tell me this isn't happening.
I hope OV doesn't use anyone to balance their business, like the conventional farm market. We wouldn't want to be hypocrites now would we.
I agree, Farmer Jon. And, if OV believes in this too they will repeal this short sighted decision immediately! We consumers have other sustainable choices than Organic Valley. Switching our purchasing dollar to a different sustainable producer is one of the smartest things a consumer can do when a producer starts to go to the Dark Side as OV is apparently doing.
Sarah,
For many of us in our co-op raw milk saoes are not a choice. In our state it is only legal to sell raw milk if you own three cows or less and only two can be milking. Advertising is also not allowed. In many of our other states where we have farmers it is completely illegal to sell raw milk. Your campaign to injure us all is unbelievable. Our planet as author Joan Gussow points out is running out of places to put our waste. We are slowly poisoning our environment as so ourselves. A campain that will weaken organic farmers is amazingly short sighted for any of us that cares to leave our planet a better place.
Hi Abbie, I appreciate your input and have no doubt that there are many excellent aspects to participating in the OV co-op. It is a shame that you do not see the noose tightening around your neck with this decision by the OV board. As a consumer, I have only 2 choices: buy OV products or don't buy OV products. This decision is a slippery slope for OV and as a result, I choose to NOT BUY. Perhaps enough consumers will make this choice to encourage the OV board to reconsider this decision.