1.09.2008 - 12:07pm ET

(CSRwire) LA FARGE, WI - January 9, 2008 - From May through September, the sun shines its warmest, pasture plants grow the strongest, and cows graze the longest. It's also the time pasturing cows produce the most delicious and nutrient-dense milk for the finest butter. With the introduction of rich-tasting, cultured Pasture Butter, Organic Valley is celebrating the healthful benefits of organic cows enjoying those lush, green summertime pastures.

Organic Valley Pasture Butter is a sweet, lightly salted, luscious cultured butter, packed with more nutrients than other butters. Expect to find Pasture Butter in Whole Foods, Wild Oats and other select retail outlets beginning February 2008, with its availability and distribution growing throughout the year.

"All Organic Valley family farmers ensure their dairy cows are on pasture as much as possible throughout the year," said George Siemon, chief executive officer of Organic Valley. "With our Pasture Butter, we're offering a butter made only during the most intensive pasture season. Throughout history, summer butter has been prized for its beautiful color and flavor, and a long held belief in added health benefits.

"In fact, our customers often request 'summer butter,'" he added. "We're delighted to be able to provide what we consider the ‘ultimate butter' throughout the year."

Organic Valley Pasture Butter contains elevated levels of beneficial fatty acids: CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), and Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids in an optimal ratio. In production, Organic Valley adds a culture to the milk to ripen the cream and bring out the natural sweetness of the butter. Upon reaching perfection in the culture tanks, the cream is churned in small batches. They also lightly salt the butter to enhance its flavor.

Pasture Butter is churned longer than other butters, which lowers the moisture content, and increases the fat content to 84 percent butterfat, compared to regular butter at 80 percent. The higher butterfat content means more butter flavor, and superior performance in cooking and baking. The low moisture content reduces splatter in cooking, and increases the richness of the butter.

"The culturing process aids digestion and enables a distinct creamy flavor and aroma not found in other butters," added Mike Bieser, Organic Valley's butter category manager. "By lightly adding salt, the butter awakens even more taste buds - creamy sweet and a little salty all at one time. Our Organic Valley taste testers say it's the best butter we've made. And, of course, they've tasted a lot of butter."

The essential fatty acids found in Organic Valley Pasture Butter are created in the green leaves of plants, where they are required for photosynthesis – and people can only obtain them through diet. In some studies an appropriate balance of these fatty acids has been linked to protection against coronary heart disease, improved neurological function, and prevention of some forms of cancer.

The milk from pastured cows has also been shown to contain increased levels of the antioxidants betacarotene and Vitamin E.

Organic Valley Pasture Butter will be available in 8 oz. packages. Organic Valley also offers cultured unsalted, European style and salted butters.

Organic Valley Family of Farms' entire line of award-winning butter is prized by gourmet chefs and home cooks alike. Organic Valley starts with its certified organic whole milk, separates it, and churns the cream into the award-winning butter that wins national and world acclaim, year after year.

Like all Organic Valley dairy products, Organic Valley's Pasture Butter is produced by family farmers in harmony with nature without antibiotics, synthetic hormones or pesticides. Their animals are raised humanely and given certified organic feed - never any animal by-products - and their pastures are certified organic.

Organic Valley Family of Farms: Independent and Farmer-Owned

Organic Valley is America's largest cooperative of organic farmers and is one of the nation's leading organic brands. Organized in 1988, it represents 1,183 farmers in 29 states and one Canadian province, and achieved $334 million in 2006 sales. Focused on its founding mission of saving family farms through organic farming, Organic Valley produces more than 200 organic foods, including organic milk, soy, cheese, butter, spreads, creams, eggs, produce and juice, which are sold in supermarkets, natural foods stores and food cooperatives nationwide. The same farmers who produce for Organic Valley also produce a full range of delicious organic meat under the Organic Prairie Family of Farms label. For further information, call 1-888-444-MILK or visit www.organicvalley.coop, www.organicprairie.com and the cooperative's farmers’ website, www.farmers.coop.

For more information please contact: