Organic Valley, the nation’s largest cooperative of organic farmers and a leading organic brand today announced a cause initiative with Healthy Child Healthy World to support a shared mission: protect children from harmful chemicals and feed them safe, nutritious food.

This initiative comes to life during Organic Valley’s American Cheese Revolution Tour, http://www.AmericanCheeseRevolution.com, a multi-city mobile tour and online pledge drive inviting parents to demand real food for real kids.  Organic Valley has committed to donate $1 (up to $25,000) for each signature to Healthy Child Healthy World to generate awareness of unnecessary toxic risks to children’s health.

"The foods we eat and the way we prepare them exposes our children to highly toxic chemicals,” says Penelope Jagessar Chaffer, an award-winning documentary filmmaker, Healthy Child Healthy World 2010 Mom on a Mission winner and ambassador for the campaign. “I am delighted to be a part of Organic Valley’s landmark American Cheese Revolution Tour, a powerful and innovative way to educate American families on the importance of ‘real’ food.  Switching to organic dairy is one of my top three tips for reducing chemical exposure, so the partnership of Organic Valley and Healthy Child Healthy World is a dynamic opportunity to inform parents and reduce our kids’ chemical pollution,” continued Jagessar.

The American Cheese Revolution Tour begins in California on August 21 and ends in Illinois in mid-October, stopping in Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and North Carolina along the way. Tour stops include family events, retail locations and other community venues, where families can enjoy grilled cheese sandwiches, giveaways, and kids’ activities, while learning about the Real Food for Real Kids pledge and Healthy Child Healthy World’s mission. For a complete schedule, and to sign the Real Food for Real Kids pledge, visit http://www.AmericanCheeseRevolution.com.

Organic Valley has long been a corporate donor of Healthy Child Healthy World.  For the past ten years, Organic Valley has worked with the national children's environmental health non-profit to protect children’s rights to good health through a safe and clean environment with the help of community engagement, outreach, and financial support.

“We’re so thrilled to be chosen as the charity beneficiary for Organic Valley’s American Cheese Revolution Tour,” says Healthy Child Healthy World CEO Gigi Lee Chang. “As an organization that strives to empower parents to protect children from harmful chemicals, it’s key to collaborate with like-minded companies that are closely aligned with our mission. Through this tour, we hope that parents further understand the importance of eating wholesome, ‘real’ food without potentially harmful additives and chemicals.”

The American Cheese Revolution Tour will also make a brief stop at an Organic Valley sponsored luncheon at the International Food Bloggers Conference http://www.foodista.com/ifbc2012 in Portland, OR, on August 24, where Healthy Child Healthy World’s Penelope Jagessar Chaffer and Organic Valley’s Theresa Marquez will meet bloggers and discuss the importance of protecting children from harmful chemicals.

Organic Valley is the only national brand to produce unprocessed, 100 percent real organic American Singles—not “processed cheese food.” Organic Valley American Singles have that mild, cheesy taste kids love and are made from the same ingredients as all Organic Valley cheese: gluten-free and produced without antibiotics, synthetic hormones, toxic pesticides or GMOs from the dedicated farmer-owners of Organic Valley. For more information, including back-to-school recipes your family will love, visit http://www.organicvalley.coop/products/cheese/american/

Healthy Child Healthy World
Healthy Child Healthy World is a national 501(c)3 non-profit with a mission to empower parents to take action and protect their children from harmful chemicals.  By working with manufacturers and supporting policy initiatives, Healthy Child Healthy World has transformed the marketplace into a safer environment for children.  By providing access to critical information that encourages smarter lifestyle choices that reduce toxic chemical exposure in homes and communities, Healthy Child Healthy World has solidified itself as a trusted resource for parents for over 20 years. Healthy Child Healthy World's vision is a world where every child has the opportunity to grow-up in a healthy and safe environment.  Please visit www.healthychild.org for more information.

Organic Valley: Independent and Farmer-Owned
Organic Valley is America’s largest cooperative of organic farmers and one of the nation’s leading organic brands. Organized in 1988, it represents 1,766 farmers in 35 states and three Canadian provinces, and achieved $715 million in 2011 sales. Focused on its founding mission of saving family farms through organic farming, Organic Valley produces a variety of 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. With its regional model, milk is produced, bottled and distributed right in the region where it is farmed to ensure fewer miles from farm to table and to support our local economies. The same farmers who produce for Organic Valley also produce a full range of delicious organic meat under the Organic Prairie label. For further information, call 1-888-444-MILK or visit www.organicvalley.coop, www.organicprairie.coop and the cooperative’s farmer website, www.farmers.coop. Organic Valley is also on Twitter @OrganicValley and Facebook www.facebook.com/OrganicValley.

Organic Valley

Organic Valley

Organic Valley: Independent and Farmer-Owned

Organic Valley is America’s largest cooperative of organic farmers and one of the nation’s leading organic brands. Organized in 1988, it represents 1,766 farmers in 35 states and three Canadian provinces, and achieved $715 million in 2011 sales. Focused on its founding mission of saving family farms through organic farming, Organic Valley produces a variety of 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. With its regional model, milk is produced, bottled and distributed right in the region where it is farmed to ensure fewer miles from farm to table and to support our local economies. The same farmers who produce for Organic Valley also produce a full range of delicious organic meat under the Organic Prairie label. For further information, call 1-888-444-MILK or visit www.organicvalley.coop, www.organicprairie.coop and the cooperative's farmer website, www.farmers.coop. Organic Valley is also on Twitter @Organic_Valley and Facebook www.facebook.com/OrganicValley.

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