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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, please contact:
Sylvia R. Tawse
(303) 449-2108 ext. 11
sylvia@freshideasgroup.com
HOPE Program Gives Family Farmers a Bridge to Organic
Horizon OrganicŪ helps 179 more farmers transition to organic
BOULDER, Colo. (Mar. 20, 2006) -- The nation's leading organic dairy company has added 179 farmers to its Horizon Organic Producer Education program and is looking for still more farmers and acres to assist through the conversion to organic production. The HOPE initiative, founded in 2001, provides financial and educational support to dairy farmers over the three-year required transition to certified organic, per U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations.
The program will help secure organic milk supply in the future, as well as a sustainable future for small family farmers across the country, including more than 325 family dairy farms across the country that currently supply Horizon OrganicŪ with milk.
"Family farms now provide more than 80 percent of Horizon's milk supply. But it's not enough," said Jule Taylor, Horizon Organic's General Manager, Milk Supply Operations. "We must recruit and encourage as many family farmers as possible to convert to organic agriculture, and join us in our mission to benefit the environment, and provide delicious organic products to families nationwide."
USDA statistics from 2003 cite 2.2 million acres of cropland and pasture in organic production in 49 states . Organic dairy farming grew 477 percent in six years, from 12,897 certified organic dairy cows in 1997 to 74,435 in 2003. But the growth in organic dairy farms, acreage and animals is not keeping pace with consumer demand. Organic dairy sales in supermarkets are growing 36 percent annually, according to the USDA.
Family farmers have embraced the HOPE program because it connects them to that growing specialty market and its attractive pricing, while ensuring the survival of their independent farm, stewardship of their land and a healthier working environment for both people and animals. Some family farmers say they would not be farming at all had Horizon Organic not invested time and money in their farms during the transition to organic through HOPE.
"Horizon Organic helped us through, financially and with staff support, at a time when we felt like we were really struggling." said Cheryl DeVos, whose husband, JD DeVos, is a third generation dairy farmer overseeing their family's Kimball Brook Farm, in North Ferrisburgh, Vermont. Beyond economics, there are other benefits for farmers making the change to organic.
"I really like what organic farming has done for our land. I like that we're not putting herbicides and pesticides on our acreage. I like that our cows are a lot healthier and we don't lose as many from the herd as we did before the transition to organic," said DeVos, whose family has transitioned 1,000 acres (550 acres from their family farm with the balance from leased land) to certified organic with a herd of 200 dairy cows, on a farm that had been conventionally farmed since 1968.
Since its founding in 2001, the HOPE program has helped 240 independent farmers transition to certified organic and provides:
- Hands-on training and support from Horizon Organic dedicated field staff
- Significant financial assistance during the transition process to certification
- An advisory team of nationally recognized dairy and land conservation experts to share best practices on holistic grazing, animal welfare and land and habitat restoration
- Help navigating the complex organic certification process
- Continued funding and sponsorship of organizations that benefit small family farms and the environment including Farm Aid, Organic Farming Research Foundation, Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), Help Wanted Organic Farmers Campaign and The Organic Center, among others
"We are not just growing milk supply. We work with farmers every day who take care of their land and animals without the use of pesticides, antibiotics and synthetic growth hormones, and we pay them a premium for their organic practices. This is a triple win for farmers, the environment, and consumers," said Kelly Shea, Horizon Organic's Vice President for Organic Stewardship and Industry Relations.
Farmers interested in more information about HOPE and organic dairy farming practices should contact Jule Taylor, General Manager of Milk Supply Operations at Horizon Organic at (303) 635-4557, so that a HOPE program field representative can answer questions directly and begin the bridge to organic practices.
About HORIZON ORGANIC
Horizon Organic, founded in 1991, was the first certified organic dairy to distribute products nationally in the United States. The company remains true to its vision for a more organic planet, purchasing milk from more than 325 certified organic dairy farms and providing certified organic dairy products to natural foods retailers and supermarkets across the country. Horizon Organic products are produced without the use of harmful pesticides, antibiotics or added growth hormones and always will be. That's the organic promise from our farmers to consumers. For more information on the growing world of organic, visit www.horizonorganic.com
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Food produced without antibiotics, added growth hormones or pesticides means better health and a cleaner environment.
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