Organic Valley Heads Back to School

With the back-to-school season coming up soon, Organic Valley is offering retailers across the United States “The Future is Organic,” a turnkey, cause-related campaign that will provide schools with educational materials to teach children about how food, health and the environment are all connected. The in-store component of the initiative encompasses advertising in national consumer publications, prizes, online education, point-of-sale promotions and coupons to increase sales of Organic Valley snacks and lunchbox-friendly products during August and September.

The campaign will feature savings on such popular back-to-school items as Organic Valley brand single-serve milks, deli sliced cheeses and Stringles cheese sticks, as well as Organic Prairie brand deli sliced meats. In-store coupons will offer $2 off any two of the company’s products.

“With The Future is Organic, Organic Valley and our retail partners can help raise awareness about the connection between organic food and sustainable living in a fun, economical and delicious way,” noted Sarah Bratnober, director of marketing communications for La Farge, Wis.-based Organic Valley, a co-op of 1,652 farmers in 33 states and four Canadian provinces producing a variety of organic foods, including milk, soy, cheese, butter, spreads, creams, eggs, produce and juice.

Key to the interactive retail promotion is an online competition consumers can enter for the chance to win one of three $250 Grand Prize gardening gift certificates to Seed Savers Exchange, and one of five prizes of a year of free Organic Valley products. While online, shoppers can also discover recipes, nutritious eating suggestions, and information on organics.

For each contest entry, Organic Valley will donate $1 — up to $20,000 — to the Center for Ecoliteracy, a Berkeley, Calif.-based nonprofit organization that supports and advances education for sustainable living. Donations will help fund distribution of the center’s new publication, “Smart by Nature: Schooling for Sustainability,” to schools across the United States. The publication provides information, inspiration, and support to K-12 educators, parents and others teaching youngsters about the benefits of a green lifestyle.

Retailers can order The Future is Organic marketing tools at www.organicvalley.coop/future.