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| C-I-E-I-O….!!???? |
Have an interesting opportunity in a few weeks to participate in a national gathering of cooperatives (Nope, bad guess it's not the GAC - same idea, different city!). One of the participants at the conference is George Siemon, the C-I-E-I-O (give it a moment, it will come to you!) of the national farmers (primarily dairy) co-op, Organic Valley. Very much looking forward to having the chance to meet him - definitely a legend in cooperative circles.
Organic Valley is an innovator in the "return to your roots" revolution called organic farming. Beyond the "sounds cool" part, what is most impressive about Organic Valley is its pioneering efforts to create local food industry jobs, to save America's small family farms, and to solve the Gordian's knot problem of gaining access to a mega-national, commodity-based, food distribution network, not particularly operated nor priced to favor "the little man". Won't go in to all that but Siemon and Organic Valley are certainly worth a Google.
Most amazingly, however, is that the organic producers have created a brand by:
1) defining carefully the meaning of "organic",
2) adopting "the strictest standards in the world",
3) working with the government to create a nationally recognized "Seal of Approval", and
4) establishing monitoring systems to assure the integrity of the brand is maintained.
These organic farmers made it very clear that organic farming was different, something special, a higher level of commitment, with agreed upon limits and standards - a system of well-defined, explicitly-agreed, shared values.
What's even more instructive is how these "dumb, old dirt farmers" have chosen to defend their brand against those who now try to infringe, "false promise", or "piggy-back" on their hard-earned, pristine image. Take a look…
- Will Rogers
