Frequently Asked Questions

In 1988, a group of Wisconsin farmers who shared a desire to save family farms and a belief in sustainable agriculture founded CROPP Cooperative. Its brands, Organic Valley, Organic Prairie and Mighty, soon followed. Today, CROPP is America's largest cooperative of organic farmers, and Organic Valley is one of the nation's leading organic brands.

CROPP Cooperative is an independent and farmer-owned cooperative, which means the farmers have a voice in the cooperative because they own it. The farmers—through the board of directors, elected by the farmers from the farmer membership—uphold sustainable farming practices such as pasturing animals and treating them humanely, ensuring CROPP farmers meet and often exceed USDA organic requirements.

While employees are the day-to-day decision-makers of the cooperative, members are tasked with upholding our mission by carefully reviewing and updating our bylaws, policies and standards, and advising the board and staff on critical topics. Members also have the important responsibility of voting for their board of directors and regional representatives - who are all farmers. Regardless of the farm’s size, location, products, or volume, each farm has equal voting power.

We're currently signing new dairy farmer-members through 2028. Other producer pools are doing targeted procurement based on their supply needs to meet demand.

We encourage interested farmers to first learn about what it means to be a member of our cooperative and the producer pool you would be joining. Each pool represents a specific organic commodity that our cooperative markets under the Organic Valley brand or through live animal sales.

Prospective members need to be USDA Certified Organic (or in transition), produce a product we market, and meet the specific requirements for your pool (e.g., quality standards, etc.), which our staff can review with you.

If you are looking to farm with us or have any questions, contact us on our Farmer Hotline at 888-809-9297, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. Central or by email at farmerhotline@organicvalley.coop.

Consumer demand for organic foods is stronger than ever right now, and this presents a great opportunity for family farms. Not only do organic markets offer higher farmer pay prices, organic production methods can also benefit your farmland, family, animals, and rural communities.

Transitioning land takes 36 months from the date of the last application of a prohibited substance. Dairy livestock may be transitioned in the 12 months concurrent with the third year of the land transition. Other livestock are organic from birth.

For a brief overview of the process and what CROPP Cooperative offers to support transitioning farms, visit our Transitioning to Organic page.

For full details for transitioning your unique farm, contact your local organic certifier.

The answer to this question starts with ownership: We aren't owned by a large corporation or private equity firm -- we're owned by family farmers. Being an independent, family-farmer-owned cooperative is incredibly important to who we are. Our farmer-owners' equity investment is a vital part of the cooperative's financial security and remaining independent today and for generations to come. A member's equity requirement is equal to 5.5% of the farm's base annual income from products sold to the cooperative. Payment options are available.

Contact us to learn more about membership! Farmer Hotline: 888-809-9297

CROPP represents around 1,600 organic family farmers in 29 states. Here's a handy way to find Organic Valley farms near you: Who's Your Farmer

If you're interested in learning more about membership in our cooperative, please reach out! We would love to speak with you and connect you with other farmer-members in your area. Contact our Farmer Hotline at 888-8090-9297.