Does all of Horizon Organic's milk come from company-owned farms?
Not at all. In fact, most of our milk comes from nearly 450 family farms in 22 states around the nation. We source over 80 percent of our milk from family farmers.
Why does Horizon Organic work with family farmers? Aren't company-owned farms more efficient?
Horizon Organic began with family farms, and we believe that family farms will always be the heart of the organic dairy industry. We're committed to growing the organic milk supply by increasing organic acreage across the country, and that means helping farms of all sizes and styles achieve sustainable prosperity with organic practices.
The Horizon Organic Producer Education program (HOPE) was founded in 2001 to recruit, educate and champion organic family farmers. We offer technical guidance and financial support through the transition process, plus ongoing education once the conversion is complete. As of early 2008, Horizon Organic nearly 100 organic farmers in transition to organic, with more signing up every month.
We regularly donate our time, money and resources to organizations like Farm Aid, The Organic Center and The Organic Farming Research Foundation. We also sponsor several sustainable agriculture events each year in the regions our farmers call home.
