LA FARGE — Organic Valley’s rising tide continues to lift all of its producer pools. Coming off of its second billion-dollar year and passing the 2,000-member mark, the La Farge-based co-op is cultivating a venture to put its dairy products on the shelves of as many as 140,000 more stores nationwide.
Organic Valley, which George Siemon and a handful of other farmers founded in 1988 and now is the largest cooperative of organic farmers in the country, also hired 110 new employees last year. That jump increased its payroll to 903 and maintained its status as the largest employer in Vernon County, with a substantial part of its operations based in Cashton in addition to its La Farge headquarters.
A new joint venture, a 50-50 pact with Dallas-based Dean Foods with the internal title of Organic Vally Fresh, will roll out this year under the Organic Valley brand label, with former Dean vice president Greg Schwarz coming aboard as general manager.
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