Horizon’s organic footprint expands across Midwest

Horizon Organic has expanded into two new Midwestern states, bringing the company’s total number of states with organic farmer-partners to 22. Seven family farms in Nebraska and one family farm in South Dakota joined Horizon’s farmer-partners.

Family farms represent 80 percent of Horizon’s milk supply. The company currently has 350 family-partners in its network and 167 farms in the process of transitioning to certified organic with the help of the Horizon Organic Producer Education (HOPE) program. HOPE provides dairy farmers with education and technical assistance about organic dairy farming practices as well as financial assistance.

Since 1991, Horizon has helped to convert more than 250,000 acres of farmland to organic production. In 2006, the firm estimated the conversion efforts of its farmer-partners and two company-owned farms prevented the use of more than 17 million pounds of pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers from entering the soil, air, water, and food supply.