Organic Valley of Farms
George Siemon, CEO
La Farge, Wisconsin
organicvalley.coop
In 1988, seven Wisconsin farmers, frustrated by the loss of nearly
2,000 farms in America each week and the staggering number of farms
threatened with extinction, set out to save family farms.
Led by George Siemon, the farmers determined that organic
agriculture was the solution. The demand for organic products was
growing steadily, and they yielded a higher price because it costs more
to produce without antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides or artificial
fertilizers. The practice also fulfilled the farmers' commitment to a
sustainable approach to agriculture, ensuring their land would be
preserved for future generations.
The farmers formed an organic cooperative, known today as Organic
Valley, and they did the unimaginable: They set Organic Valley's
pay-price to farmers for their organic milk at about twice the
pay-price of conventional milk. And they kept the pay-price at a fixed
amount for an entire year, an unprecedented move in the dairy industry.
The model has paid off. Today Organic Valley is one of the largest
organic brands in the nation, offering milk, cheese, juice, eggs,
spreads, produce, soy and Organic Prairie meat. With 1,183 organic
farmers in 32 states and one Canadian province, it is the only national
organic brand solely owned and operated by organic farmers. Most
importantly, Organic Valley farmers are making a stable living wage and
staying in business.
Despite Organic Valley's growth, the co-op remains true to its roots
and business model. A board of farmer-owners, together with Siemon,
Organic Valley's C-E-I-E-I-O, sets Organic Valley's annual milk prices.
They oversee every aspect of the organic process, from the moment the
products leave the farm to the moment they appear on grocery shelves.
And they uphold sustainable farming practices, such as pasturing
animals and treating them humanely, ensuring Organic Valley farmers
meet and even exceed USDA organic requirements.
"The success of Organic Valley proves that organic agriculture can
be a lifeline for America's struggling family farms," Siemon said. "In
an era of rising and falling agricultural prices, Organic Valley
employs a model that is unmatched anywhere on earth."
Just as Organic Valley strives to support family farms, the co-op is
committed to growing local communities. In 2004, Organic Valley chose
to build its new company headquarters, which accommodates 250
employees, in La Farge, Wis., the small town the co-op has called home
since its inception. Likewise, Organic Valley's relationships with
businesses and non-profit organizations in other regions where their
farmers live embody the co-op's "grow local" philosophy.
Being farmer-owned has allowed Organic Valley to stay true to its
mission and what its customers expect they are getting when they buy an
Organic Valley product: food produced by a farmer who is a steward of
the earth and at the heart of the organic revolution.
Seventh Generation
Jeffrey Hollender, chief inspired protagonist
Burlington, Vermont
seventhgeneration.com
Seventh Generation takes its name from the Great Law of the
Haudenosaunee, which states that "in our every deliberation we must
consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations."
At Seventh Generation, this wisdom means many things, all of which
come together to create a new chain of sustainability that stretches
from our company to our customers and out into the world we share. Our
mission to do things differently and in the process blaze a new path
for business to follow begins with our products and our choice to make
them without harmful ingredients and polluting technologies. These
include biodegradable, vegetable-based cleaning and laundry products;
chlorine-free diapers and training pants; natural lotion baby wipes;
chlorine-free organic cotton feminine hygiene products; chlorine-free
recycled paper towels, and bath and facial tissues; and trash bags made
from recycled plastic.
While our name references the next seven generations, for most
parents it's the next generation that matters the most. A short time
ago, the e-mail below came into our consumer relations department:
Dear Seventh Generation:
My heart has been overflowing with gratitude since Saturday night. I
was emptying the dishwasher, and hadn't realized that it had
malfunctioned (all of the dishwashing powder was still in there). My
daughter had opened the little detergent door when I wasn't paying
attention. I looked down to see her with two handfuls and a mouthful of
your dishwasher powder. Frantic, I called Poison Control. "My daughter
ate dishwasher powder." They asked what brand it was. "Seventh
Generation." "Oh, it's fine then. Just wash it off her hands, and give
her a glass of water." Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Sincerely,
Gabrielle Lennon
Idyllwild, California
Our products help consumers maintain safer homes and healthier
families, and they contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable world.
But they're just part of our story. We're also dedicated to building a
company in whose operations a new model for business can be found, one
that respects its human and environmental assets as much as its
financial capital. As a pioneer in the corporate responsibility
movement, we believe deeply that a company should provide its employees
with a work experience that offers meaning, satisfaction, equity, and
the chance to continually grow both inwardly and outwardly. We also
believe that all of these things should come together to create a force
for good in the world.
Our mission has been embraced by people of all kinds who share our
desire to create a better world, and that in turn has translated into
commercial success as well. Since 2001, our operating income has
increased six fold. Today, our products represent 46% of the total
natural foods cleaning, paper, and personal care categories combined.
Seventh Generation Initiatives
Seventh Generation is committed to creating partnerships with
organizations that are working toward environmental and social
justices. Among them:
changeit07.com
Seventh Generation has partnered with Greenpeace to train and
sustain the next generation of change agents. Through our joint
training program, Change It, we are engaging and empowering college
students across the nation to become active on campus and in their
communities.
weegeneration.com
Wee Generation is a collaboration between Seventh Generation and
Healthy Child Healthy World, the national leader in safeguarding the
healthy or children and protecting them from harmful environmental
exposures. By educating parents and engaging communities, we encourage
new and expectant parents to make simple, smart choices that allow our
children and families to flourish.
ampontification.com
Tampontification was a program developed in 2005 when it came to our
attention that feminine care products are in short supply in women's
shelters around the country. The program used a combination of
interrelated issues to inform, educate and move people to action on two
interrelated but equally taboo subjects - menstruation and homelessness.
|
