Our Community of farms

Family farms hold a very special place in our company. In fact, our growing community of hundreds of family farms is truly the heart of Horizon Organic, providing more than 80% of our milk. We nurture this relationship with our Horizon Organic Producer Education program (HOPE); an ongoing campaign to recruit, educate and champion organic dairy farmers.
As part of the HOPE program, Horizon Organic maintains a dedicated regional farm support team. These experienced dairy professionals travel the back roads every day to connect with our farmers in the field. As a Horizon Organic farmer, you'll work one-on-one with a local rep who knows and appreciates your farm - and your family.

Built in the early days of the organic movement, our company-owned farms represent our abiding faith in organic dairy. At a time when many dismissed organic as a passing fad, we stood firmly by our principles, paving our own path toward the organic ideal by investing in farms that proved the viability of organic practices.
Today – even as our community of family farms grows – we continue to consider our company – owned dairies vital to our work and mission. In addition to supplementing our core milk supply, our company – owned farms serve as a model for the industry as a whole. They've demonstrated that organic principles, applied with diligence and integrity, work equally well for herds of many sizes and in many environments. We take great pride in this achievement, and regard it as a starting point for future organic innovation.
Like any organic farmers, we follow the regulations of the U.S.D.A. National Organic Program in all of our farming practices. We also confront the same challenges and market fluctuations that face our farmer partners across the country. For example, in 2004, we struggled with rising feed costs at our dairies. Conscious that our partners faced a similar strain, we launched our groundbreaking Market Adjustment Premium (MAP) program, voluntarily raising our pay price in hard – hit regions to help our partners weather the changeable market. Because we operate as a producer as well as a buyer, we recognize that our partners' struggles are no different from our own, and we're committed to overcoming them together.