ORGANICS

Saturday marked the 13th Annual Investor reception for CROPP(Coulee Region Organic Produce Pool). With an attendance  a 100 more than last year, we started the shareholders meeting outside followed by lunch inside before two possible tours.  

Chief Mission Officer

As always it was fascinating to hear about new products and recent endeavors including solar production, organic Fall tours and donations to the Flood Relief to La Farge,  Cashton,Viola, Readstown, Cheaseburg, Ontario, Viroqua and Coon Valley with 27,000 pounds of product besides being a sponsor for the Flood Relief Benefit Concert and other national and international disaster areas.

A couple new scholarships for professional development were created in memory of Louise Hemstead, a long time devoted  employee. 

Siemon

George Seamon, the C E ee I O, as he refers to himself,  shared the challenging market times with skim milk consumption going down and high fat products going up. Commitment to CROPP's organic farmers remains high on priorities.

Solutions include the introduction of a dozen+ new products besides a new credit contract and also opening up a 4% stock investment. 

Delayed production in the Conversion and Labeling Facility was due to the European state of the art cheese shredder and trimmer arriving 6 months late. It is now operational.

  Poremba,Chief Financial Officer
 explains the numbers

After a couple years of eggs being down ie private labels being low priced, this year with $63 million sales, the egg sales will break even. There's new packaging to compete with low price privatized label organic eggs...

Roger Peters

We also heard about one of CROPP's many farm families. This year  Roger Peters shared his family's involvement in organic farming with cows, (dairy and meat), pigs and chickens. Peters also serves on the Board of Directors... 


Although Siemon will be retiring soon his vision is to leave the 30 year business now as dynamic, capable and flexible with sustainability being key to its mission.  What a history our region has played in organic farming and food production!

*Stay tuned as I'll share the awesome tour to Organic Valley's Cashton Distribution Facility next...