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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, please contact:
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Sara Loveday
(303) 635-4680
sara.loveday@whitewave.com
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Horizon Organic® Family Farmer Network Grows by Nearly 35 Percent
Increase is in response to rising consumer demand for organic milk
BROOMFIELD, Colo., Feb 27, 2008 – Horizon Organic®, the nation's leading organic dairy company, today announced that the brand expanded its farmer partner network by 116 farms in 2007, bringing the total to nearly 450 family farmer partners in 22 states across the country. Additionally, nearly 100 more farms are in transition to becoming certified organic.
"Family farms have been at the heart of Horizon Organic since the beginning," says Jule Taylor, vice president of dairy operations for Horizon Organic. "The more partners we’re able to help transition to organic, the more organic milk will be available for consumers and the more acres we will transition to organic which is better for the land, animals and the planet."
To help grow the family farmer network, the Horizon Organic Producer Education (HOPE) program, launched in 2001, provides technical and financial assistance to farmers as they transition from conventional to organic production. The program continues to help secure future organic milk supply, ensuring Horizon Organic can provide a sustainable future for family farms while continuing to meet growing consumer demand.
"Through this program, we're able to support hundreds of organic family farms nationwide," says Taylor. "Family farmers need help to convert to organic. Through the HOPE program, we provide the necessary educational, technical and financial assistance they need to make a successful transition."
In addition to economic sustainability, converting farms to organic agriculture supports Horizon Organic's mission to promote stewardship of the land and provide a healthier environment for both people and animals. Since 1991, Horizon Organic has helped to convert more than 250,000 acres of farmland to organic production.
For more information about the Horizon Organic farmer network and how organic farming 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 1-888-648-8377.
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 nearly 450 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, or 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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