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.
This has been a very interesting and thoroughly discussed topic, which I’m now just stumbling upon today, after its birth on June 9, 2010. I’ve candidly reviewed both sides with an open and clear mind, and on this page I will compile my thoughts being objectionable. There were many great points being made from those who are against the ban and those who are for it.
Most certainly there IS a right and wrong answer to this, even though this discussion bears the weight of differing opinions that are reflected of one’s current belief. Innately, living creatures along with human beings are born with free will. Human beings, especially, are given the right to do “whatever we want” without a consequence as long as we do not negatively or adversely affect another human’s life especially in a way that threatens their safety or make them do something they do not want to do. The fact is everybody here agrees we all have the absolute right to drink raw milk and sell it if we want to.
But contrary to the laws of Nature some humans have attempted to immorally strip the rest of us from our rights, which truthfully they could never really do. Now the argument in a nutshell is that; Organic Valley for about 20 years have left farmers and their families be in their personal farmland decisions but now the “board of farmers” in fact are now deciding to ban the sale of all raw milk from all farmers apart of the Cooperative.
Notice what’s going on here, the recent popularity of raw milk among the consciously aware citizens of America, and OV receiving money from the government around the time of their decision. Also look at the fact that basically every public OV farmer on this forum here is promoting the ban of raw milk, the fact that only about 10% of OV farmers in TOTAL privately sell raw milk, and the fact that OV company statement said they are not against raw milk but YET do not sell it, disagrees with their farmers in doing so privately and furthermore bans their small farmers from selling it, an extreme contradiction.
First things first, who wins and who lose? The person who buys and consumes raw milk from an OV farmer loses. The farmers that sell their raw milk to the consumer loses. Reason is because their rights have been taken away. Now who gains? Those who agreed to the ban and chances are those are the farmers who did not participate in selling raw milk because they don’t believe in doing so. Sadly, regardless of who wins or lose the bottom line is it is “Always all about the money”. Nothing is wrong with making money, what’s wrong is limiting someone else’s freedom in order to do so.
A farmer should have the right to decide on what to do with his own farmland. It is his land (keep in mind we never truly own anything) and as long as he is not adversely affecting anyone (which he isn’t) then he has the right to do what he very well please. People know the potential dangers from drinking raw milk and less know or care for the health benefits. I agree the people don’t necessarily have the right to force that Organic Valley run their Cooperative a certain way (we don’t have that power anyways all we really have is suggestibility and voting with our dollars) because that would be making them do something they don’t want to do. In retrospect OV “board members”, specifically those that voted for the ban, do not have the right to demand that the other farmers limit their freedoms (despite the fact that each small farmer can choose to leave OV) especially when it has nothing to do with their direct involvement within the Cooperative.
By the way Jennifer’s experience is simply that, her experience. We are all strangers here but from what she said she grew up on a farm and so she more readily accepts and perhaps sees the ban of raw milk by OV through a different eye. That is what she’s accustomed to but it still doesn’t make it right. And If Sarah wants to protest and boycott, then let her protest and boycott. If Jon the Farmer wants to restrict his own freedom to fancy the majority board members at OV then let him. But OV board members are in the wrong for once again forcing small farmers to “limit their freedoms” or get out when individual farmers personal decisions do not affect the involvement or their business-relationship with the OV Coop.
On a last note, I’m a Raw Foodist and I’m a member/owner of a Food Coop in NY. My Food Coop gives me discounts to buy their products and all I have to do is work there a few hours per month. This is all fine and everything is consensual. Now If my Food Coop decided to ban me from buying from other groceries stores (i.e. Wholefoods) that is wrong and a violation of my human rights. If my Food Coop suddenly decides to ban me from buying foods there and sharing it with friends at the amazing discount, that’s wrong. If my Food Coop decided that I couldn’t donate the food I bought after I bought it to give it to charity or that I’m no longer allowed to meditate or buy jars of Organic Tahini butter because the “majority” agrees I should be limited then that’s wrong. The point is as long as I put in the hours and satisfy the terms agreement I should be able to buy what I want and get the discounts but what I do in my own private time shouldn’t be up for a public discussion.
My final words, the solution I believe is to let OV strongly know how we feel about their poorly made decision. We can disagree with them but that’s probably no reason to completely boycott an entire Organic Cooperative Group of Farmers as a whole especially seeing as not even all the farmers agreed to that decision and there are worse companies out deceiving us as much as they can without being exposed. We simply need to continue buying organic grass-fed raw milk from farmers who are willing and are brave enough to sell it, that action will benefit us in the long run as we the consumers promote, not only the consumption but simply the right to buy raw milk.
I want to thank Sarah, Jon the Farmer, Susan B., Anonymous, Kelly Mahaffy, Jerry McGeorge, Nancy, Andrew, Abbie, and everybody else who posted a comment or simply viewed this page for giving it an energetic existence so that me and all the real people here can be stimulated by it and live our lives knowingly.
These are my opinions and I may very well have people out there who disagrees with it but we are all entitled to our opinions and you’re also entitled to be wrong.
Have a nice day, Be Happy and Healthy, and Thanks for Reading!
That was absolutely marvelously put, Sir Albert!
Possibly, Jennifer, because people oftimes don’t have the perspective you have about this issue, not having lived it as you have. I was in that camp until I read your post, just now. So instead I’m going off to have a long thiiiink. Thanks big time for posting.
So what has happened because of the boycott? Just curious, as I had heard nothing about this before reading this.
I also am from a dairy farming family and sold my herd two and half years ago because I was going broke milking 40 cows, which was all I could do by myself. I considered going to organic status and upping my income that way, but my equipment was old and I didn’t want to sink that kind of money into things at my age. It all came down to it was time for me to get out after a lifetime of milking.
As far as I know, ANY milk plant will request when you sign a contract that you don’t sell milk to anyone else. So what Organic Valley was asking was no different from any other milk company in my experience. When I was a kid my parents instructed me never to say anything to any stranger about raw milk sales, which we did very rarely, probably only a few gallons a year. It was not to get back to the milk plant that we ever sold anything off of the farm.
Thirty years ago I visited a friend’s aunt in Colorado (I am in NYS) and visited a farm for raw milk. I was told not to say anything about buying milk if there were anyone else there but the farmers.
So you can see that from my perspective, Organic Valley wasn’t making anything of a wild decision here, it simply was following precedent that’s been followed by all milk companies for over 50 years.
Is it correct? Most likely for the majority of Organic Valley farmers it is. Is it correct for consumers? I don’t know. But you might as well boycott every other milk plant, as well, if you are going to be upset about this, since they all do it.
I drank raw milk every day of my life until I sold the herd. I don’t drink milk at all now because I won’t drink the pasteurized crap from the store. Having been a dairy farmer, I wouldn’t drink raw milk from anyone else’s place, either. I keep thinking I’m going to train one of the beef cows I’ve still got and milk them the next time one freshens, but haven’t done it yet.
One last thing: I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at the “outrage” on this thread over farmers trying to make a living. Why is it so awful that Organic Valley tries to make money? Certainly most people make a decent living, so I don’t understand the negativity associated with these farmers in particular.
Thanks for reading.
Nothing wrong with Organic Valley making money. It is wrong, however, for them to forbid their members farmers from doing the same, i.e., selling raw milk on the side.
They didn’t forbid ‘their member farms’. The farmers themselves came about the decision democratically. I wish you could just GET that!
I wish you could just “get” that what a member farm does with their extra milk is none of Organic Valley’s business! They have no right to control their outside activities.
I never was a big OV consumer since the milk is ultra-pasteurized and homogenized. I do buy the yogurt sometimes since it’s all that’s available at my little grocery store here in rural Illinois. Actually, I’m surprised we can even get that. I do not like the OV decision though particularly since raw milk sales are prohibited in so many states. That’s also why I don’t think a boycott is such a great idea either. What would happen to small family dairy farms in those states if the co-op took a big hit? It would be nice if OV could follow a co-op approach like the art gallery one mentioned above. I don’t see how raw milk sales are a huge threat to a co-op that obviously has good intentions and is the only option for some dairy farmers.
With all the bad food out there from monocrop and factory farms, I think this is a knee-jerk reaction to potential contamination. It may have taken the board a year to make this decision, but the screaming headlines must be making them nervous since the USDA and FDA are looking for scapegoats.
For those in the midwest looking for OV alternatives, we occasionally buy Kalona Organics dairy products. They also are marketed under the Hy-Vee organic label. They ship to 10 states but are mostly concentrated in Illinois and Iowa.
I applaud the OV farmers, but I really wish they would rescind the board’s decree on raw milk sales. Please reconsider, some of us take our food very seriously and this is an insult to those of us in states where raw milk sales are possible.
Switch "milk" with "art" and OV with a gallery. While a member of an art gallery co-op, all of us worked in the store for no pay, in exchange for having our art displayed and sold. The gallery kept a small percentage of the sales. Many of the artists also sold their wares at other local retail stores, out of their homes and or at art fairs. We as a group of artists, would never dream of banning the sale of our art outside of the co-op gallery. OV and or other members of the co-op should NOT be able to control where the milk/art is sold!!!
The people who say we shouldn't boycott OV because we will hurt the farmers are missing the whole point. Their coop is hurting us, the consumers, by making it harder for us to find quality raw milk to purchase.
They have brought this on themselves. If they don't like it then they better vote for someone who will change the decision that their farmer board made.
Baylee, it's even better than 200! Their average herd size is 76, with over half of their dairy farms under 500 cows! There are a couple larger farms, but being from Illinois, I know the realities of large-scale farming, and even their highest numbers aren't bad, especially if they're out west where they have lots of land. Nowhere near 5000! Here's the link where I found it – http://www.organicvalley.coop/about-us/transparency/herd-chart/
Jon, Abbie, Zewber Farms, other OV farmers and employees: I wanted to thank you for all you do and the sacrifices you make. I went to the Green Festival in SF last year and talked to a family of Organic Valley farmers. I sat there for nearly an hour listening to their amazing story. I admire the fact that you stick with Organic Valley through thick and thin. That is what family is all about. 🙂
I love Organic Valley's Whole Milk, Raw WI Cheddar, Pasture Butter, and Berry Yogurt. I buy it all the time at Whole Foods in Salt Lake City! (Which btw WF stopped distributing raw milk, after a lawsuit. SCARY! I can't even imagine what would happen if a farmer was sued! It would be so tramatic.)
I've been carefully following the raw milk debate and have a few thoughts I've been mulling over.
Whether people can admit it or not, there are risks associated with drinking raw milk. Farmer X's tanks might not be as clean as Farmer Y's. Which leads to a huge sanitation issue and overall inconsistency in production. Personally I'm not in favor of a utilitarian mindset. We can't dismiss a handful E Coli cases (linked to raw milk), for the greater good of the raw milk movement.
To argue that pasteurized milk has "dead" bacteria is another topic indeed, which I won't completely disagree with. Yoplait Yogurt could be considered "dead", but you don't see too many people throwing up their arms and condemning Yoplait. If anything, I'd rather spend my time criticizing Horizon who is ran by a bunch of suits, and owns this awful piece of real estate: )
I mean seriously, the average Organic Valley herd size is what? About 200? That is nothing compared to Horizon's 5,000 cow compound in Idaho!
Anywho, I'm just going to sit-back, drink my Organic Valley yogurt, and wait for the opposing side to pounce on me like a lion pouncing on a piece of fresh meat. 🙂 Be careful…It's a Darwin world out there!
It’s people like you who are REALLY supporting local, sustainable, farms, which in turn support good families. Thanks, so much!
Are these farmers who are supplying milk to OV feeding their cows grains? If so, then the milk absolutely must be pastuerized. Who would buy raw milk that isn't one-hundred percent grass-fed anyway? Milk from cows eating grains, even organic, is dangerous for everybody!
I grew up with 8 other siblings.
On a huge farm.
Everything we ate came from our farm. Raw milk was one of those.
We have no diseases, no allergies, no cancer, no bone issues, nothing.
We have been in some car wrecks, an home or game accidents but that’s it.
The people are the power .
If they stand together.
Our food in every aspect is poisoned an justified.
No one is looking out for the people, anymore.
No one should have say to what we take in our bodies.
That’s our choice.
No one should be told what they can or cannot grow or sell.
Natural is best.
Raw is best
People are dying from everything
And don’t know how they got sick.
Stay raw
Stay healthy
Grapes of Wrath
The little people are the power
They can be stomped an even killed
But they will always be more
And they will keep coming
back
Because they are strong
And the POWER IS THE PEOPLE
Wow, Susan – you are very perceptive. Thank you for that link. I'll bet this government grant to OV has something to do with the ban. "Hey OV – No money from Uncle Sam to beef up your hometown headquarters unless you forbid your farmers from selling raw milk on the side" I wouldn't be surprised if the two are related at all.