The Grazing Mind

One of our Horizon brand’s organic dairies is located just outside of the small community of Kennedyville, Maryland (the other is in Idaho), and is widely recognized as a model of best-in-class organic practices. The farm serves as a learning destination for farmers and organic industry leaders, and we’re obviously pretty proud of it.

You don’t have to take our word for it, though. Check out the below video for a virtual tour, and then let us know what you think.

A few months ago, Molly recapped a recent National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting, where it was decided that the plant-based DHA Omega-3 we use in some of our products would continue to be allowed for use in organic food production.

We’ve however seen a few questions around what the “re-approval” means, so here’s a rundown to help clear things up:

• The NOSBs decision doesn’t introduce a new supplement to the organic food category; it simply means that we can continue using the same plant-based DHA we’ve been using since 2007… not a new ingredient.

• The plant-based DHA we use is extracted without the use of Hexane. Again, no Hexane is used at any point during the production of the DHA we use in our products.

• The plant-based DHA we use is not genetically modified. Totally Non-GMO.

• The plant-based DHA we use is vegetarian. It’s safe. And millions of kids and families have enjoyed the benefits of it since we first introduced our DHA Omega-3 enhanced products in 2007.

Here are some more details on the NOSBs decision for continued use of DHA in organic products.

For more details on our DHA Omega-3 products, click here, here and here.

And if you have other questions about DHA or anything else related to WhiteWave or our brands, don’t hesitate to ask them in the comment box below.  You can also visit our Facebook page to join in the positive and constructive conversations we have with our fans everyday.

As of late, our farmers across the country have been struggling to make ends meet, due to the sharp increase in what they pay for their input costs, including grain and fuel. We’ve been carefully reviewing what we pay our farmer partners in light of these mounting cost pressures as we want to ensure that they make a fair and competitive wage and are incentivized to produce the highest quality organic milk on the market.

At the same time, Horizon, like many other organic dairy brands, has seen a sharp increase in demand for our milk, resulting in reduced availability.  Because of this, you may have read or found that it’s harder to find organic milk on store shelves.  This increased demand resulted, in part, from shortages from other organic milk suppliers, as well as from last year’s unprecedented heat, humidity, rain and flooding, which negatively impacted the entire organic milk industry.

In light of these conditions, today we announced a short-term pay price increase and extension to all our Horizon farmers beginning Feb.1.

We believe this action will ensure the most sustainable livelihood possible for our organic dairy farmers and the overall organic dairy industry. As always, we’ll continue to monitor this situation and take additional action, if needed.

New Year’s resolutions have been a hot topic around the office these past few days. And not surprisingly, the most popular resolution revolves around the waistline. New year, new diet.

No doubt you’ve been hearing or saying the same thing so in keeping with that theme, here’s a healthy recipe courtesy of our friend Dr. Greene and our Horizon brand to help keep you (and us) on track. Enjoy.

Grilled Salmon Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Horizon Organic fat-free plain yogurt
• 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh mint, minced
• 1-1/2 teaspoons flax oil*
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1-1/4 lbs fresh boneless, skinless salmon
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 2 green onions, minced
• 3 tablespoons lowfat feta
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 egg white
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

*Find flax oil in the natural section of your grocery store.

 Directions:

To make the sauce, line a colander with a coffee filter, place over a bowl and strain the yogurt 30 minutes. Line a second colander with a coffee filter. Combine cucumbers and salt and strain for 30 minutes to remove moisture. Rinse cucumbers to remove much of salt and squeeze dry. Combine strained yogurt, cucumber, garlic, mint, flax oil and lemon juice in a small bowl and chill 30 minutes while you prepare the salmon burgers.

Cut salmon into 1-inch cubes. Place salmon, mustard and green onions in a food processor and pulse 4-6 times until salmon is minced to the consistency of ground beef. Put salmon in a bowl, add feta, breadcrumbs, oregano and egg white, and mix until well combined.

Form the salmon mixture into 4 burgers. Brush each with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Preheat and oil the grill according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Cook burgers 3-4 minutes on each side. Serve with tzatziki sauce.

Nutrition Facts/serving (includes sauce):

Calories 345; Calories from Fat 150; Total Fat 17g; Saturated Fat 4g; Cholesterol 88g; Sodium 887mg; Total Carbohydrates 12g; Fiber 1g; Sugar 6g; Protein 35g; Vitamin A 9% DV; Vitamin C 9% DV; Calcium 22% DV; Iron 12% DV.

Omega-3s 3.813g [3813mg]

The National Organic Standards Board voted today to continue to allow plant-based DHA that is not hexane extracted to be used in the production of organic foods. We applaud this decision, as Horizon has used plant-based DHA in our Horizon Organic milk with DHA Omega-3 since 2007.

This is a clear victory for the millions of consumers who have purchased our DHA Omega-3 milk products over the past four years due to the added health benefits they are thought to deliver, including support for brain, heart and eye health at every stage of life.

As a result of this decision, consumers can continue to feel good about purchasing Horizon organic milk with DHA Omega-3 because it affirms that our plant-based DHA Omega-3 is a safe and effective non-synthetic additive, as well as non-GMO and extracted without the use of hexane. Unlike DHA from fish oil, it is also free from any possible ocean-borne contaminants, does not contribute to overfishing and is vegetarian.

Consumer demand for these products has helped us grow Horizon’s network of more than 600 family farmers. In fact, we’ve been able to double the number of family farmers we work with over the past five years.

This decision paves the way for the type of future innovation in organic dairy that will help grow the category. That’s good for the organic movement, good for people and good for the planet.

A classic dessert with a little holiday flavor…

A recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that not enough children and teens drink low-fat milk.  Instead, many are drinking 2 percent or whole milk regularly. However, recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, and the American Academy of Pediatrics state that all children aged two years and over should be drinking low-fat milk in order to avoid unnecessary fat and calories and to help prevent obesity.

Well guess what?  We’ve got a solution! To all the moms out there, packing school lunches and stocking cupboards and fridges nationwide: meet Horizon Organic’s lowfat milk boxes.  Not only are they convenient, but the delicious milk inside has changed from 2% to 1%, thereby reducing the amount of sugar, fat and calories in our plain, chocolate, strawberry and vanilla single serve milk boxes.

So lose the guilt and start handing these puppies out to the kids.  You can even sneak a few yourself guilt-free – the grown-ups around here have certainly been known to knock a few back ourselves…

There’s good news for organic consumers coming out of Ohio recently. The State of Ohio has agreed that it will no longer pursue enacting a rule that would have limited labeling on organic dairy products. Our hope is that this outcome sends a message to other states that might consider similar anti-consumer labeling restrictions.

The Ohio decision follows a federal appeals court decision a year ago which reversed an Ohio regulation that would have severely restricted the organic milk industry’s ability to make clear claims about the composition of its milk. Specifically, Ohio had attempted to prohibit organic dairy producers from informing consumers, through product labels, that organic dairy products are produced without antibiotics, pesticides or synthetic hormones.

Ohio has now agreed to abandon the rule, reinforcing the federal appeals court’s finding that the First Amendment allows organic dairy producers to proudly state that their products are produced without antibiotics, pesticides or synthetic hormones. The court ruled in response to an appeal by organic milk processors on behalf of the entire organic community.

This decision is a clear win for the organic movement, and for consumers who want and deserve to know what it is and isn’t in the products they are purchasing.

Horizon is proud to be a member of the Organic Trade Association (OTA) which led the three-year fight against Ohio’s proposed labeling restrictions. Horizon, along with several other organic dairy companies, collaborated with the OTA over the past year in negotiation efforts that led to this decision.

At WhiteWave, we strongly believe that consumers have a right to make informed purchasing decisions. This victory in Ohio will help ensure that consumers in Ohio can continue to look to labels to learn how their dairy products are produced.

This Friday, Horizon Organic celebrates its 20th anniversary. Why not wish them a happy 20th, and support one of our favorite partners, Farm Aid, at the same time?