|
|
back to new releases index
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, please contact:
Sara Unrue
Horizon Organic
(303) 635-4680
sara.unrue@whitewave.com
Horizon Organic® Grows Organic Farmer Network
Transitional farmers 'graduate' to organic and join 342 Horizon Organic family farmers
BROOMFIELD, Colo. (July 31, 2006)Horizon Organic®, the nation's first national organic dairy brand, announced today that it has welcomed 27 additional certified organic farms in 2006 to its rapidly growing network of organic family farmer partners. Horizon Organic's network of family farmers now totals 342 family farmers.
Horizon Organic's farmer partners are a diverse group of individuals who have chosen to manage their farms organically for economic viability as well as the benefits it provides to the health of their land, animals and families. All 27 farm families transitioned to certified organic practices though the company's Horizon Organic Producer Education (HOPE) program, which provides financial and educational support to farmers as they convert to organic protocols.
The following family farmers, two of the 27 recently graduated dairy farms, are representative of Horizon Organic's producer partners. Both dairies are now supplying milk to the company while earning a record high milk pay price due to strong consumer demand for more certified organic choices in the dairy case:
- Peter and Anita Ruegemer, Villard, Minnesota: The Ruegemers, who have been farming since 1982, started the transition to organic in 1998. With 70 cows and 35 acres of organic pasture, the couple started shipping milk to Horizon Organic in January. Topping the list of reasons they converted their farm to organic is better land and animal
- more -
health. The Ruegemers feel organic farming, without the use of pesticides on the land
and antibiotics on the animals, is best because it's good for the land, animals and families who drink it.
- Andrew and Eva Hoover, Stanley, New York: The Hoovers have been farming for 10 years, and started shipping to Horizon Organic in April. With the help of their older son, they milk 90 cows on their 300-acre farm in beautiful upstate New York. The growing market for organic milk motivated the Hoovers to get their paperwork in order and become certified, which only required minor changes in their operation because they had already stopped using chemicals on their land nearly five years ago. Taking the official step toward organic certification just made good sense for the sustainability of the land and the economic future of the farm.
For many family farmers, converting to organic production has ensured survival of their independent businesses, while also promoting stewardship of the land and a healthier working environment for both people and animals. For Horizon Organic, expanding acreage in organic agriculture is a key tenet of its mission because it sustains the livelihood of family farmers, benefits the environment, supports better health and ensures the humane treatment of animals.
In 2005, through the organic agricultural practices of both its farmer partners and company-owned farms, Horizon Organic has kept more than 14.5 million pounds of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers out of the environment. With nearly 50,000 acres in the conversion process, and as the company actively seeks more farmers and acres to assist through the conversion to organic production, the environmental and health benefits will commensurately continue to increase.
Increased consumer interest in organic food has meant the organic food industry has been growing at a rate of approximately 20 percent a year since 1997¹. In response, organic dairy farming grew 477 percent from 1997 to 2003². But the growth in organic dairy farms, animals and acreage is not keeping pace with consumer demand.
To help grow its farmer network, the Horizon Organic Producer Education (HOPE) program launched in 2001 to provide technical and financial assistance as they transition from conventional to organic production. The program helps secure future organic milk supply, ensuring Horizon Organic can provide a sustainable future for family farms while continuing to meet growing consumer demand.
"We have a strong network of 342 dedicated organic farmers who supply 80 percent of Horizon Organic's high-quality organic milk," said Jule Taylor, vice president of dairy operations for Horizon Organic. "Without these farmer partners and the additional 240 farmers currently transitioning to organic through our HOPE program, Horizon Organic would not be able to fulfill its mission of bringing the benefits of organic to more people in more places than ever before."
For more information about the Horizon Organic farmer network and how organic benefits farmers, animals, the environment and consumers, visit www.horizonorganic.com. Farmers interested in learning more about the HOPE program and organic dairy practices should call (303) 635-4557.
¹Organic Trade Association's (OTA's) 2004 Manufacturer Survey
²Organic Production, 1992-2003,"U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service", November 2005. www.ers.usda.gov/Data/Organic
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 342 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
|
Food produced without antibiotics, added growth hormones or pesticides means better health and a cleaner environment.
|
