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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, please contact:
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Sara Unrue
Horizon Organic
(303) 635-4680
sara.unrue@whitewave.com
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Horizon Organic® Farmer-Partner Showcases Organic Dairy Farming Practices to Congressman Pitts
BROOMFIELD, Colo., May 23, 2007 – Horizon Organic® farmer-partner Forrest Stricker is passionate about organic dairy farming and recently had the opportunity to share his farming practices with Congressman Joe Pitts (R, PA-16), a member of the House Organic Caucus. Congressman Pitts visited Spring Creek Farms, Stricker's 400-acre farm in Wernersville, Pa. that has 150 cows and has been organic since 1999, to gain a better understanding of how organic farming promotes the highest standards of animal welfare, environmental stewardship, and agricultural sustainability.
"The organic food industry is rapidly growing, and that's creating a great opportunity for organic farmers," said Congressman Pitts. "Pennsylvania's rich farmland is allowing local farmers like Forrest Stricker to meet this new demand, and I'm glad to support their efforts as a member of the House Organic Caucus."
Horizon Organic, which helped to pioneer organic dairy farming practices 15 years ago, has helped hundreds of farmers like Stricker make the transition to organic milk production practices every year through the HOPE (Horizon Organic Producer Education) Program. Horizon Organic currently has nearly 167 farms in transition to organic.
Congressman Pitts also had the opportunity to discuss with Stricker how the organic dairy industry is affected by federal agricultural policies. Representative Pitts is a member of the House Organic Caucus, a bipartisan group of 42 House Members focused on promoting a greater understanding of the nation's organic agriculture industry.
"I was impressed with the fact that Congressman Pitts visited an organic dairy farm," said Stricker. "We showed him the milking parlor, the calf raising area, and even showed him how we move calves from pasture to pasture. It's great that he is showing interest in organic farming and realizes how important it is."
Congressman Pitts was joined at Stricker's farm by Dr. Hubert Karreman, a nationally recognized organic bovine veterinarian from Lancaster, Pa., who sits on the National Organic Standards Board. Horizon Organic recently collaborated with Dr. Karreman and Shannon Horst with Holistic Management International, an authority on sustainable pasture management, to develop its "Standards of Care," a comprehensive set of guidelines that will govern how Horizon Organic runs its company-owned farms while helping to educate consumers and others about the complexities of organic farming. The "Standards of Care" were published this Spring and are in effect on Horizon Organic's company-run farms in Idaho and Maryland.
"Helping local farmers convert to organic so they can keep farming and stay independent is one of our top priorities," said Jule Taylor, vice president of milk supply for Horizon Organic. "We’re proud to partner with farmers like Forrest Stricker, who is helping us to achieve our mission of producing milk in a way that is sustainable for the farmers, land, animals, and planet."
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 353 certified organic dairy farms and providing certified organic dairy products to natural foods retailers and supermarkets across the country. Horizon Organic's products are produced without the use of antibiotics, added growth hormones, and harmful pesticides. 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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