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Aurora Organic Dairy Continues Collaboration With Colorado State University, Supports Inaugural Organic Agriculture Program

Posted on: Tuesday, 22 August 2006, 21:00 CDT

FORT COLLINS, Colo., Aug. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- With the kickoff of the 2006-2007 academic year underway this week, Aurora Organic Dairy (AOD), headquartered in Boulder, Colo., extends its programs collaboration with Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo. The nation's leading producer of private-label, or store-brand, organic milk, AOD is the first company to help support Colorado State's inaugural organic agriculture program.

The organic dairy is providing $1,000 tuition scholarships for every student participating in the inaugural organic agriculture program. The dairy's leaders also are encouraging other organic businesses, located both within and outside the state of Colorado to support the Colorado State organic agriculture program.

Beginning this semester, the Colorado State organic agriculture program will provide a unique opportunity for students to explore organic agriculture and production. The program was spearheaded by Colorado State's Dr. Jessica Davis, Ph.D., Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, and Harrison Hughes, Ph.D., Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, who will serve as the organic agriculture program's co-directors. Open to all majors, the organic agriculture program builds on the fundamentals of general agricultural sciences with additional courses offered in organic agricultural methods, ecology, management and marketing. Students must also complete an internship component to gain hands-on work experience in the dynamic, organic agriculture industry.

Colorado -- One of Leading Organic-Producer States in Nation

"Colorado is one of America's top states in terms of organic acreage," says Doug Mayo, director of development for Colorado State's College of Agricultural Sciences. "With that much organic farmland, and Colorado State's interest in organic studies, we not only will promote interest in organic farming, but also, our university can significantly impact sustainability and encouraging on-farm implementation of organic agricultural methods."

Consumer demand for organic food and beverages continues to rise. Sales of organic foods in the U.S. currently exceed $15 billion, accounting for about two percent (2%) of the U.S. food market, according to the Organic Trade Association. And, sales of organic foods are predicted to continue their upward trend.

Program co-founder Davis recognized the growing demand for well-trained graduates in the organic agriculture sector: "For many years, CSU has offered strong programs in both environmental sciences and various agriculture sectors," she says. "Our new organic agriculture program builds on those strengths and applies them to another industry segment, one that's growing along Colorado's Front Range and throughout the nation."

AOD's Long-term Collaboration with Colorado State University

The scholarships are just the latest in a series of collaborations between AOD and its nationally and internationally recognized ag.-university neighbor. "We are fortunate to have a well-respected institution like CSU located so close to our Colorado farms. And, because it's a Land Grant university, CSU and our program partnerships are a natural fit," says Juan Velez, large-animal veterinarian and vice president of farm operations for AOD.

To ensure products are meeting consumer quality and flavor demands, Colorado State tasting panels of faculty and students in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition provide monthly, contracted, sensory and quality taste-panel evaluations for AOD's milk and butter products. The sensory results measured by the university echo recent best-taste rating of organic milks by the Boston Globe newspaper, and the organic dairy believes that the sensory program is one of its most successful steps that helps AOD ensure quality and flavor "from cow to cup."

Meanwhile, on the AOD organic dairy farm near Platteville, Colo., and soon, on the new High Plains Organic Dairy near Kersey, Colo., selected Colorado State ag. students will continue to participate in on-farm internships, supervised by Dr. Velez and his staff of fellow veterinarians. The AOD teams also participate in scheduled out-of-classroom farm tours, processing plant tours and seminars with various Colorado State professors and their students.

About Aurora Organic Dairy

Aurora Organic Dairy is America's leading producer of private-label and store-brand organic milk and butter. The organic production company includes headquarters offices in Boulder, Colo., and an organic dairy farm and on-farm organic dairy processing plant near Platteville, Colo. A second organic-dairy farm near Dublin, Texas, currently comprises 2,400 acres of croplands, pasture and milking facilities. A third organic farm, High Plains Organic Dairy, currently is being developed with the Cockroft family near Kersey, Colo. Once completed, the organic dairy farm will feature state-of-the-art animal- handling operations, an environmental sustainability program and pasture for all lactating cows. The new farm will begin organic milk production in fall 2006. For more information, visit http://www.auroraorganic.com/.

Aurora Organic Dairy

CONTACT: Jenny Dean of Marr Barr Communications, +1-303-774-9200ext. 107, jennyd@marrbarr.com, for Aurora Organic Dairy; or Nik Olsen, Officeof Public Relations, Colorado State University, +1-970-491-7766,nik.olsen@colostate.edu

Web site: http://www.auroraorganic.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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