Organic farmer cooperative Organic Valley says it has added 17 new milk farmers in the Northeast to boost production of its Organic Valley Grassmilk products, bringing its total to 81 farms.

While all Organic Valley milk is sourced from pasture-raised cows exceeding USDA pasture policy for organic ruminants, Organic Valley Grassmilk milk takes it one step further.  The cows are 100 percent grass-fed and eat only fresh grasses and dried forages, like hay. They do not eat supplemental grains, like corn or soybeans. The cooperative says consumer demand for grass-fed dairy products—now a top food trend according to Whole Foods Market—has warranted the expanded production and development of product lines.

The new farmers are from New York and Pennsylvania and are connected with a new milk route winding between the states from Canastota, NY to Gillet, PA. It is then transported to Mountainside Farms in Roxbury, New York, where it is packaged. With Organic Valley's regional model, milk is produced, bottled and distributed right in the region where it is farmed to ensure fewer miles from farm to table and to support local economies.