Organic Valley

What Organic Valley does

Organic Valley is a farmer-owned cooperative (legally Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools, or CROPP Cooperative) founded in 1988 in La Farge, Wisconsin, and is the largest organic farmer-owned cooperative in the United States. It produces and sells organic dairy and food products under the Organic Valley brand and sub-brands (Grassmilk, Stringles, Protein Plus, Family First, Organic Prairie) sourced from a member base of more than 1,500 organic family farms, with average herd size of 70 cows. The product portfolio spans milk (whole, 2%, skim, lactose-free, Grassmilk, Protein Plus Ultra-Filtered), butter (including Butter with Olive Oil), cheese (Stringles, Snack Sticks, Organic American Cheese Blocks, cottage cheese), free-range eggs, and plant-based extensions (oat creamers and oat beverages). Core technical capabilities include ultra-filtration processing for Protein Plus (delivering 13g protein per serving at 50% less sugar) and enzymatic hydrolysis for lactose-free milk, with Protein Plus being the first U.S. retail product in Tetra Pak's plant-based recyclable carton. All products carry USDA Organic certification (Oregon Tilth), with additional Non-GMO Project Verified, Kosher (Orthodox Union), Halal (IFANCA), and Certified Grass-Fed Organic Dairy marks.

The company generates revenue primarily through unit-priced retail sales of branded organic dairy and food products via national grocery retailers and natural food stores, distributed principally through UNFI as its primary broadline distributor, plus a direct sales team covering foodservice, bulk, ingredients, and private label. Go-to-market combines traditional grocery retail with omnichannel brand-building (events, social, content, PR, agency of record) and a 2026 brand relaunch via TDA Boulder across CTV, digital, social, and shopper marketing. Complementary capital sources include a $25 million USDA Climate-Smart Agriculture grant (September 2022) funding carbon insetting infrastructure across 500 organic farms, and previously offered Class E Preferred Stock to investors (now closed to new investment).

The customer base is split between consumer end-buyers (health-conscious consumers seeking certified-organic, pasture-raised dairy and protein-forward convenience products) and B2B channel partners (UNFI, Whole Foods Market, conventional grocery chains, natural foods retailers). The cooperative is differentiated by multi-layered certifications, a vertically integrated farmer-owner supply structure that pre-dates USDA organic standards, and emerging carbon-insetting partnerships with Stonyfield Organic, UNFI, and Whole Foods Market using Verified Impact Units. Strategic risks include the ongoing Federal Milk Marketing Order / CODE class action litigation and dependency on UNFI for distribution, while growth is supported by double-digit category share gains, an aggressive new product cadence, and a major brand reinvestment launching September 2026.

Name

Organic Valley

Legal name

Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools

Website

https://organicvalley.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Organic Valley is the largest U.S. farmer-owned organic cooperative, producing USDA-certified organic dairy, cheese, butter, eggs, and plant-based products from a 1,500+ family-farm member base. It sells nationally through grocery and natural food retailers via UNFI distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Dairy Products

NAICS

Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Dairy Cattle and Milk Production (112120), Dairy Product (except Dried or Canned) Merchant Wholesalers (424430)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Organic Dairy & Eggs Wholesale (AFAIAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organic Dairy Cattle Production (AFAEAMAB), Natural, Organic & Health Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAK)

Keywords

• Organic dairy products
• Pasture-raised milk
• Organic cheese
• Farmer cooperative
• Organic butter

Headquarters

HQ city

La Farge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Organic Dairy and Food Product Sales: Organic Valley generates revenue primarily through the sale of organic dairy and food products including milk, cheese, butter, eggs, creamers, cottage cheese, and new protein-forward and plant-based extensions (oat beverages, oat creamers). Products are sold through grocery retailers, natural food stores, and foodservice channels via distribution partners such as UNFI.
2. Class E Preferred Stock Investment: CROPP Cooperative (dba Organic Valley) has historically offered Class E, Series 4 Preferred Stock to investors to fund and support the cooperative in a financially sustainable way. At the time of the source, the offering was closed to new investment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Organic Valley is America's largest farmer-owned organic cooperative, producing and selling certified USDA organic dairy and food products sourced from over 1,500 family farms. Its product portfolio spans fluid milk, butter, cheese, eggs, creamers, cottage cheese, and plant-based oat beverages distributed nationally through grocery and natural food retailers. The cooperative supplies both branded retail products and bulk/wholesale dairy ingredients to food manufacturers.

Product overview

Organic Valley is a farmer-owned cooperative offering a diverse portfolio of organic dairy products and select plant-based alternatives. The core product lineup includes various milk varieties (whole, 2%, skim, 1%, chocolate, lactose-free, and Grassmilk® from grass-fed cows), ultra-filtered Protein Plus™ milk, butter products including Butter with Olive Oil, cheese products including Stringles® string cheese, Snack Sticks, and Organic American Cheese Blocks, cottage cheese, and free-range eggs. The cooperative has expanded into plant-based categories with oat-based creamers and oat beverages. All products are USDA certified organic, sourced from pasture-raised cows on certified organic family farms, and carry certifications including USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, kosher (Orthodox Union), and halal (IFANCA).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Grassmilk®: Organic milk from cows that feed exclusively on grass and dried forages
• Stringles®
• Protein Plus™
• Family First®
• Organic Prairie

Products and services

• Protein Plus Ultra-Filtered Milk High-protein organic milk produced via ultra-filtration for consumers seeking nutrient-dense dairy.
• Butter with Olive Oil Spreadable organic butter blended with olive oil for everyday cooking and table use.
• Snack Sticks Organic snack sticks designed as an on-the-go protein option for consumers.
• Oat Beverages Plant-based organic oat beverage for lactose-intolerant or dairy-free consumers.
• Oat Creamers Organic plant-based creamers designed for coffee use, available in flavored variants.
• Organic American Cheese Blocks Block-form organic American cheese slices for everyday family use.
• Grassmilk Organic milk produced exclusively from cows fed on pasture grasses; positioned as a premium tier.
• Salted Butter Traditional organic salted butter produced from pasture-raised organic cream.
• Cottage Cheese Organic cottage cheese for general household consumption.
• Lactose-Free Milk Organic fluid milk treated with lactase enzyme for lactose-intolerant consumers.
• Free-Range Brown Eggs Certified organic free-range brown eggs produced by cooperative farmers.
• Family First DHA Omega-3 Milk Organic milk fortified with DHA omega-3 for children's nutritional needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Double-digit growth in both dollar and unit sales in Refrigerated White Dairy Milk subcategory for 52 weeks ending November 30, 2025 — the only organic brand among three brands (with fairlife and A2 Milk Co.) achieving this.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Hearst Magazines / Women's Health LabminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 May 2026Organic Valley was a sponsor of Hearst Magazines' 3rd annual Women's Health Lab event in partnership with Northwell's Katz Institute for Women's Health. The invitation-only event in New York City brought together medical professionals, experts, and advocates for discussions on women's health topics, with Eli Lilly as title sponsor and Organic Valley among additional sponsors.
• TDA BouldercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 April 2026Organic Valley appointed TDA Boulder as its agency of record for brand strategy and creative development following a competitive review. The agency will develop a new brand strategy and platform launching in September 2026, spanning connected television, online video, social media, digital, print, and shopper marketing to boost national visibility and household penetration.
• UNFI (United Natural Foods, Inc.)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 3 March 2026UNFI serves as Organic Valley's primary broadline distributor in the natural and organic grocery channel. In March 2026, Organic Valley and UNFI joined Stonyfield Organic and Whole Foods Market in launching a carbon insetting program enabling Verified Impact Units (VIUs) for emissions reduction across the U.S. organic dairy supply chain. UNFI also honored Organic Valley with its Supplier Circle of Excellence Award in 2026 for excellence in product innovation and category leadership.
• Stonyfield OrganiccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026Organic Valley and Stonyfield Organic co-developed a pioneering carbon insetting program with UNFI and Whole Foods Market, using Verified Impact Units (VIUs) from the SustainCERT VIVID platform. The program enables participating farms to generate VIUs through emissions-reduction practices such as solar power installations and manure management, creating a scalable model for collective climate action across the organic dairy value chain.
• Whole Foods MarketcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026Whole Foods Market (owned by Amazon) participates alongside Organic Valley, Stonyfield Organic, and UNFI in a carbon insetting program using Verified Impact Units (VIUs) to drive measurable climate action across the U.S. organic dairy supply chain. The initiative brings together farm-level solutions, distributor logistics, and grocery retail in a third-party-verified program.
• Delish / Players TailgateminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 February 2026Organic Valley was an active sponsor of Delish's cook-off event at the Players Tailgate in New York City ahead of the Super Bowl, judged by NFL players and featuring celebrity chefs. The event celebrated food and tailgating culture with Organic Valley and Solo Steelfire as sponsors.
• Rodale InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganic Valley partnered with iHeart Radio to donate $50,000 to the Rodale Institute, which trains the next generation of organic farmers. This partnership supports Organic Valley's mission to grow the base of organic farming knowledge and protect small organic family farms.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Stonyfield Organic: Stonyfield is the leading U.S. organic yogurt brand and an organic dairy peer. Stonyfield and Organic Valley co-developed the Verified Impact Units carbon insetting program with UNFI and Whole Foods, indicating directly overlapping organic dairy supply chains, certification standards, and sustainability positioning.
• Horizon Organic: Horizon is one of the largest U.S. organic dairy brands (owned by Danone), directly competing with Organic Valley across fluid milk, cheese, and butter at national grocery retailers. Both brands depend on certified-organic family-farm supply and the same USDA Organic certification infrastructure.
• fairlife (Coca-Cola): fairlife is the ultra-filtered, high-protein milk category leader and one of only three brands (with Organic Valley and A2 Milk) achieving double-digit dollar and unit sales growth in Refrigerated White Dairy Milk. It is the most direct competitive threat to Organic Valley's Protein Plus innovation lane.
• The a2 Milk Company: The a2 Milk Company competes with Organic Valley in premium specialty fluid milk at U.S. grocery retail. It was the third brand in the 52-week period ending November 2025 delivering double-digit dollar and unit growth in Refrigerated White Dairy Milk, making it a direct premium-dairy peer.

Emerging players

• Maple Hill Creamery: Maple Hill is a U.S. grass-fed, regenerative organic dairy brand with comparable pasture-raised and small-herd positioning. It overlaps with Organic Valley's Grassmilk line and certified grass-fed organic dairy proposition in the premium refrigerated set.
• Oatly: Oatly is the leading oat-based milk brand in the U.S. and now competes directly with Organic Valley's newly launched oat beverages and creamers. Both companies compete for refrigerated shelf space in the plant-based set, where Organic Valley is a new entrant and Oatly is the category incumbent.

Regional players

• Straus Family Creamery: Straus is a California-based organic and non-GMO dairy producer selling fluid milk, butter, and cream into West Coast natural and specialty retailers. It competes with Organic Valley in the same organic dairy category but with a regional footprint focused primarily on the western U.S.

Broad incumbents

• Danone North America: Danone owns Horizon Organic and Silk plant-based brands, giving it a broad portfolio overlap with Organic Valley across organic dairy and plant-based beverages. As a multinational, Danone has materially greater scale, marketing budgets, and R&D resources than the cooperative.
• Nestlé USA: Nestlé operates organic and grass-fed dairy product lines (including via its U.S. food division) and competes broadly with Organic Valley in fluid milk, cheese, and creamer categories at national retailers. As a global CPG incumbent, Nestlé has substantially greater distribution and marketing firepower.
• 365 by Whole Foods Market (Amazon): 365 is Whole Foods Market's private-label organic brand spanning dairy, cheese, butter, and plant-based categories. It is both a retail customer of Organic Valley's products and a competitive private-label alternative on the same shelves, particularly relevant given Organic Valley's deep partnership with Whole Foods on the VIU carbon program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/organicvalley
• Facebookfacebook.com/organicvalley
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/organic-valley
• Instagraminstagram.com/organicvalley
• Pinterestpinterest.com/organicvalley
• TikToktiktok.com/@therealorganicvalley
• Xx.com/organicvalley

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Organic Valley