I am one of the luckiest Green Guys on the planet. I live about 10 miles away from the main office of the largest food co-op in the US! Based out of LaFarge, Wisconsin, they are called Organic Valley.
The company originally consisted of seven farms selling produce. Today it is made of 1183 farmer-owners and is one of the largest producers and distributors of organic produce, meat and dairy.
I live in the Coulee region and am friends with some of the farmers that supply Organic Valley with their foodstuffs. The place has been growing by leaps and bounds because of organic consumers like you, but their real success can be credited to the quality and taste of their food, which is second to none.
Local farmers have moved out here specifically to grow for Organic Valley. They have to go through a long process to ensure their fields are certified organic, and after completing that, Organic Valley welcomes them.
The number of farms in western Wisconsin growing organic food has caused the soil quality to return to the way it was before chemicals were used. We have Class A trout streams everywhere, because runoff from all the farms doesn't pollute.
Sustainable farming has become the norm, not the exception like everywhere else, and we can all thank Organic Valley for the way this has happened.
This is a great success story, and it shows people want healthy, natural and organic food. But, it gets even better than this. I can say all I want about how wonderful the company is, but if they don't have the goods to back it up, they wouldn't be as big as they are.
I am here to tell you tasting is believing. I have had organic hot dogs and loved them. No preservatives, no chemicals, just good taste. Their orange juice tastes like...orange juice, without a bitter or pesticide aftertaste. Their fruit and preserves are the closest thing to picking them and canning them yourself. And the chocolate milk is to absolutely die for! You will never go back to drinking regular store-bought chocolate milk again.
Organic Valley is my neighbor! How could I be so lucky?
