RFK Jr. Promoting Organic Foods

Organic Valley & Waterkeeper Alliance Launch "Pure Farms - Pure Water"
Campaign

6/8/2002

SANTA ROSA, Calif., Jun 8, 2002 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Organic Valley
and Waterkeeper Alliance today announced a pioneering partnership to gain
consumer awareness and support for the survival of organic farming and
clean water.

The announcement of their joint effort, the "Pure Farms - Pure Water"
campaign, was made by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President of Waterkeeper
Alliance, a coalition of water protection groups, and George Siemon,
founding farmer of Organic Valley, one of the nation's largest organic
brands and the only one to be solely owned and operated by organic
farmers.

"The "Pure Farms - Pure Water" campaign will help families understand the
link between organic farming and clean water and give them the tools they
need to make a difference," said Siemon, the nationally renown organic
farmer who, as a member of the National Organic Standards Board, helped
establish the new U.S. organic standards going into effect on Oct. 21st.

"Unless we act today to enable organic farming to survive and thrive
across America, we will put at risk our ability to leave our children the
clean water, breathable air and fertile soil they and future generations
deserve," said Kennedy, a resolute defender of the environment who, as an
environmental attorney, has established whole new standards for
governmental and industrial compliance with environmental laws.

"Organic farmers preserve America's proud traditions of land stewardship,
animal husbandry and environmental protection. Unlike factory farming,
organic farms eliminate chemical and nutrient run-off into our lakes,
streams and rivers," said Kennedy. "Like safe food, clean water starts on
the farm."

New Organic Valley Milk Carton Carries the Message

Siemon and Kennedy unveiled a new Organic Valley milk carton that will
help educate consumers about the organic farming-clean water link. It
features a side panel authored by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and information
about how to join a local Waterkeeper group.

"We have pledged to work together to make a difference for a clean
environment, healthy food and stable family farms," writes Kennedy of
Organic Valley's partnership with Waterkeeper Alliance, the fastest
growing grassroots environmental movement in America.

Organic Valley will produce 10 million of the special Waterkeeper milk
cartons. Look for them in leading supermarkets, natural foods stores and
cooperative groceries. They are being launched in California this month
and will roll out nationwide by July 4th.

Join Organic Valley Action Link

As part of the "Pure Farms - Pure Water" campaign, the new Organic Valley
Action Link will be featured on the websites of Organic Valley
(www.organicvalley.com) and Waterkeeper Alliance (www.waterkeeper.org).
The link automatically puts visitors in touch with their elected
officials on key issues.

"Whether it's support of water protection legislation or efforts to
preserve the organic standards, the Organic Valley Action Link site will
help consumers make their views crystal clear to their elected officials
in Congress," said Siemon.

"Waterkeeper Alliance was founded on the principal that the protection of
a community's natural resources depends upon the daily vigilance of its
citizens. This on-line activist's tool will make it easy for citizens to
let their elected representative know how serious they are about
preserving clean water and organic agriculture," said Kennedy.

One of the issues the site is currently focused on is the protection of
the US organic standards. The new standards give consumers the assurance
of what organic stands for: no use of toxic synthetic pesticides and
fertilizers, irradiation, sewage sludge, and genetic engineering in
anything labeled organic.

"Consumers who understand the link between clean water and organic
farming need to 'vote at the cash register' this fall by purchasing
direct from organic family farms," urged Kennedy.

Organic: A Better Way to Grow!

"Organic farming has the vision for building the sustainable, rural
communities our nation needs to protect our natural resources," said
Kennedy. "As industrial agriculture destroys our rural communities,
organic farmers offer a true return to community centered food
production. They buy locally and reinvest in their communities. Thriving
farms and town are essential for the protection of the local environment.
Organic Valley provides a market for independent organic farmers,
increasing their ability to survive in today's economy."

Waterkeeper Alliance today is focused on protecting waterways from the
pollution caused by Confined Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs. These
facilities shoehorn thousands of animals into barns full of small pens,
where they are fed nutrient rich imported feed, laced with antibiotics
and growth stimulants. Waste from these facilities is often piped into
open pits, euphemistically called "lagoons," and then applied to adjacent
fields. Nutrient and pesticide laden animal waste contaminates streams,
lakes and rivers, local groundwater, and ultimately, has created a New
Jersey-sized dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Waterkeeper Alliance has launched a national campaign designed to
reform this industry, to restore healthy landscapes and waterways, and to
return good stewardship, prosperity and democracy to America's rural
communities.

Unlike CAFOs, Organic Valley farmers practice rotational grazing,
or "pasturing", which rotates cows to a new pasture each day that weather
permits. This enables manure to be spread evenly and lightly across the
land instead of being concentrated in one area. Because these pastures
are left in permanent grass and clover, they are much less prone to
erosion and don't have the polluting runoffs found with conventional
agriculture.

The Waterkeeper Mission

Comprised of more than 80 Waterkeeper programs throughout North and
Central America and Europe, the Waterkeeper Alliance is an
environmental "neighborhood watch" program that operate as citizen's
patrols that protect communities and the waters they depend on. For
further information, contact Waterkeeper Alliance, 78 North Broadway,
BLDG E, White Plains, NY 10603, tel. 914 422 4410, or visit
www.waterkeeper.org.

About Organic Valley

Organic Valley was organized fifteen years ago by a half dozen family
farmers who shared a love of the land and the belief in sustainable
agricultural. Now made up of 450 organic farmers in 17 states from
California to Maine, Organic Valley is at the heart of the organic
revolution. Under the direction of its CEO and founding farmer George
Siemon, Organic Valley is staying the course of its original mission: to
fiercely protect the environment, organic family farming and rural
communities. For further information, contact Organic Valley, 507 West
Main St., LaFarge WI 54639, tel. (608) 625-2602, Toll Free (888) 444-
6455, or visit www.organicvalley.com.

PHOTOS: For photographs of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and George Siemon,
please visit the "What's New" section of the Organic Valley website
(www.organicvalley.com) or PR Newswire (www.prnewswire.com), or call Sue
McGovern at 781-648-7157.

SOURCE Organic Valley; Waterkeeper Alliance

CONTACT: Jeffrey Odefey, +1-914-422-4126, jodefey@waterkeeper.org; or Sue
McGovern, +1-781-648-7157, sue@mcgov.comURL:
http://www.organicvalley.comhttp://www.prnewswire.com