Organic Valley
| Rating |  |
| Farm/Brand Headquarters | LaFarge, WI |
| Products | Butter, butter (ghee), fluid milk |
| Website | www.organicvalley.coop |
| Market Area | Nationwide |
| Total Score | 1310 |
Organic Valley is a farmer-owned cooperative that primarily produces dairy products, but also meat under the Organic Prairie label, and packaged produce.
| Criteria | Points | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 1600 plus extra credit) | 1310 | 4-Cow Rating | Excellent |
Farmstead dairies earn the most points. Corporations that have a history of skirting the organic rules receive the fewest. Ownership structure | 90 | Farmer-owned cooperative |
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Farms that produce 100% of their milk receive the most points. Milk from "open market" or known confinement dairies receive the fewest. Milk Supply | 90 | Own patrons with specific cooperative policy |
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100% organic farms receive the most points. Split operations with conventional dairy on the same property receive the fewest. Organic Production | 100 | 100% organic farms and milk, brand will occasionally sell milk as conventional |
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Farms that completed the survey in detail received the most points.
Disclosure of Information for Verification | 90 | Good transparency |
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Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier. Organic Certification | 75 | Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO) |
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Animal Welfare Approved and Biodynamic certifications receive the most bonus points. Producers are not penalized for not having additional certifications beyond organic. Other Labels/Standards | 0 | None. Individual farmers may have other certifications. |
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100% grass-fed with independent verification of standards Grass-fed | 70 | Exceeds minimum standards for grazing |
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No points are given for this but the information may be useful to certain consumers looking to avoid soy. Soy Free Ration? | No | |
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Sliding scale based on policies, enforcement, acreage/cow, days/year on pasture, and permissible exemption. Pasture | 90 | Excellent pasture compliance using rotational grazing |
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One time/day receives the most points. Two times per day is standard. Times Milked | 85 | Majority of farms milk twice a day (standard organic practice); one farm milks 3 times a day |
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Lower cull rate scores better, with under 10% receiving the most points. Cull/death Rate | 75 | Moderate cull/death rate. Will vary widely between farms. |
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Farms with closed herds receive the most points. Farms that sell organic calves and buy conventional replacements receive the fewest. Replacements | 100 | Closed herds |
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Standard practice is removing calves shortly after birth, with extra points given for unique ways of managing calves
Calves | 75 | Removed shortly after birth (standard practice) |
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Farms that prohibit antibiotics receive the most points. Farms that allow young stock to receive antibiotics (under one year), receive the fewest.
Antibiotic Use | 100 | No Antibiotic use |
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No hormones is the standard, however some farms do use oxytocin for therapeutic purposes. Hormone Usage | 100 | No hormone use |
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Farmstead dairies (owner lives on-site) receive the most points. Fewer points are given as oversight declines. Farm Support | 80 | All larger farms are visited more frequently; most farms visited annually |
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All ingredients sourced from inside the organization or on the farm receives the highest points. Ingredients from confinement factory farms and/or imported ingredients receive the fewest. Procurement of Ingredients | 90 | Outside ingredients from single trusted sources |
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Various levels of extra credit given for 1) providing full organic systems plan, 2) providing details on all farms (multi-farm brands, details on largest five required), and 3) sourcing feed on-farm or domestically. Extra Credit | 0 | None |
