The Rodale Institute's "Farmers Can Be Heroes" program is an outreach and education program designed to portray organic farmers as the heroes who not only feed us, but who are on the frontline mitigating climate change and preserving the earth for future generations. The Farmers Can Be Heroes website offers an online course for conventional farmers interested in transitioning to organic, as well as other tools and information.
Organic Valley, America's pioneering cooperative of organic farmers, and Nature's Path Organic Foods, North America's number one maker of organic cereal, have joined with Organic Gardening magazine in creating the "Organic Heroes" campaign to support the Can Be Heroes farmer education program. The Rodale Institute is the nation's leader in on-farm organic research and education.
To participate in this program and towards the donation of up to $50,000 to the Farmer's Can Be Heroes program, just purchase one Organic Valley product and one Nature's Path product, then mail in both proofs of purchase. As a thank you, participants will receive a free one-year subscription to Organic Gardening magazine, as well as a chance to win one year of free breakfast foods from the two sponsors. More importantly than a free magazine subscription, though, is that, for every proof of purchase mailed in by November 30th, Organic Valley and Nature's Path are contributing $1 to the Rodale Institute in support of the Farmers Can Be Heroes program.
"Organic farming is an issue near and dear to our hearts at Nature's Path—we've even purchased our own organic farmland which we crop share with local farmers," said Arran Stephens, CEO and founder of Nature's Path. "We're thrilled to support the Organic Heroes campaign and Farmers Can Be Heroes program because we are absolutely committed to preserving and transitioning organic farmland. This campaign allows us to join together with likeminded organizations that we admire to further support organic farmers, as well as educate consumers about their importance."
"In 1988, when we formed Organic Valley, agriculture was in crisis. Conventional farming methods employing synthetic chemicals and focusing on high yields were firmly entrenched, and there weren't a lot of voices out there advocating for nurturing the soil and farming in harmony with nature. J.I. Rodale was one of the exceptions," said George Siemon, one of the founding farmers and CEO of Organic Valley. "He was in many ways the founding father of organic agriculture in America and an inspiration to all the early pioneers of today's organic movement, including the hundreds of farm families who own our cooperative. Partnering with Rodale on the Farmers Can Be Heroes program is a natural evolution for us, and we're proud to join with Nature's Path and Organic Gardening magazine to support such a worthy cause."
To save $2 off your purchase of one Organic Valley product and one Nature's Path product and to learn more about the program, visit OrganicHeroes.org.
August 27th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Organic farmers really do set a precedent for the rest of us.
August 27th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
I have to hand it to Rodale for trying to do something, but I would like to suggest they come up with a more "green friendly" alternative than a free magazine subscription.
August 30th, 2009 at 12:09 am
Sounds like a great product to me, Stefanie. I'm going to check out the the Organic Heroes and hope I can dig up more information...
September 4th, 2009 at 8:33 am
Environmentally aware farmers are essential for making this planet a more friendly place. So this is a brilliant initiative!