Beyond Factory Farming

Marketing can consume a lot of time and energy. Establishing a cooperative to share the workload, set up joint transportation and storage facilities, and even create a common label and brand can reduce the proportion of time spent on marketing for each individual farmer and makes it possible to provide more convenient service to customers.

Organic Meadow is a dairy cooperative based in Ontario which links over one hundred certified organic producers under one brand. By having multiple facilities, each serving its own market area, the coop can provide local products under a common brand name in many locations.

Saskatchewan Organic Livestock cooperative is developing a similar system for marketing certified organic beef. Eventually they hope to include lamb, pork, and poultry as well.

Here are a few more examples of family farms working together to market meat, eggs, dairy, and poultry that have been raised in a socially responsible way.

• Southern Vancouver Island Direct Farm Marketing Association
• Fraser Valley Farm Direct Marketing Association
• Farmer Direct Co-operative Ltd.
• Diamond Willow Beef
• Canadian Organic Livestock Association
• Field Gate Organics