This morning we left the Kruse’s house at 7:45 to get a tour of their own organic dairy farm. I was still half asleep but from what I remember it was very similar to the other organic farms we saw the day before. Mr. Kruse used a similar technique that Jeremy Peake used to rotate the cows grazing. He has 24 plots that he moves the cows through on different days. While the cows are in one pasture, the pasture grows back for them to eat.

Later we drove to Cashton, Wisconsin to meet Jim Wedeberg for a tour and a meeting with Organic Valley Cooperative. The tour was really impressive because I have never been to a warehouse that was so advanced. There were systems that took care of 40% of the work that is done daily in the warehouse. It is able to do double the amount of work that an employee can do. It runs through a computer system that keeps track of the location of every pallet. There are different rooms for different temperature foods. It was complex and organized.

Some people criticize the size of Organic Valley because it started as a small market Co-Op and grew to a nationally recognized brand. I think that its size is good because the company has helped to demonstrate that we can treat animals better on a large scale and still be productive. I also think they have created a lot of opportunities and jobs for people and spread the organic label across the U.S.

On the way to our next sleeping place, we drove through Minnesota for fun. That made three states in one day. We got dinner at an Italian restaurant in the middle of the woods. Hannah and I were in charge of picking it out and despite some concerned looks as we turned into the dirt forest path on our way to the restaurant, I don’t think we disappointed.