Organic Valley was established in 1988 under the name CROPP (Coulee Region Organic Produce Pool). Our founding members met during the farm crisis of the late 1980s to form a cooperative that would help provide a stable pay price to farmers by growing quality organic food. Organic Valley continues to be owned by our farmers and driven by our mission. Every single farmer-member has a vote on decisions that impact the co-op, such as animal care standards and pay prices.
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Organic Valley Executive Vice President of People Jerry McGeorge summed it up.
“The co-op principles have always been really important to us, but autonomy has been super important since day one. Having control of your own destiny and the future is the reason we’re organized as a co-op,” he said.
Being part of a cooperative means having a group of like-minded people behind you.
“We (my dad and I) genuinely believe in the philosophy behind cooperatives,” Corse said, adding the phrase, “many hands make light work” really embodies the cooperative. “We want to be able to farm. We want to focus on managing our animals and land that are best for the ecosystem and the environment. The more time we can focus on that and not the other aspects of running a business is amazing. We’ll leave that to our other people in our wonderful cooperative.”
Read the rest at Organic Valley
October is one of my favorite months of the year. In Vermont, where Webskillet is based, it happens to be one of the prettiest times of the year, with fall foliage at its peak. It’s also a time we start packing away the summer clothes, bring out the winter gear and prepare to get cozy for the months ahead. October also happens to be National Co-op Month and, since I’m a member and worker-owner at Webskillet Cooperative, this means something special to me. It is the time of the year that we should celebrate the advantages of cooperative membership and recognize the benefits and values that co-ops bring to our members and communities.
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