Horizon Organic(R) Honors Organic Dairy Farmer Partners

Oregon farmers, Jos and Deanna Poland, Receive National Award for Quality
Organic Milk

BROOMFIELD, Colo., July 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Horizon Organic(R), the first
certified organic dairy to distribute products nationally in the United
States, today announced the winners of the 2007 Exceptional Quality Awards
program, which recognizes the top ten percent of Horizon Organic farmer
partners in each state whose milk is the highest quality within Horizon
Organic's network. In order to be considered for the award, producers must
ship organic milk to the brand for one full calendar year, and the average
test results for each shipment must be among the best in their respective
states.
"Horizon Organic is dedicated to producing the highest quality of organic
milk on the market, and our Quality Awards program is a great way to recognize
and honor our farmer partners that exceed our high standards," said Jule
Taylor, vice president of dairy operations. "The Producer Milk Quality Program
reflects our mission of providing consumers with great-tasting, high-quality
products nationwide."
This year's national winner for the best quality milk in Horizon Organic's
total producer supply is awarded to Jos and Deanna Poland of Poland Farms in
Madras, Ore. The Polands built a new farm when they switched to organic
dairying and were certified organic three years ago. Jos and Deanna milk 220
Holsteins on their farm and they credit their success in organic dairy quality
to keen attention to detail. Upon receiving the National Quality Award, the
couple was presented with a plaque in their farm's name and a cash award.
"After we switched from conventional farming to organic, I feel that the
quality of milk is higher," said Jos Poland of Poland Farms. "With organic,
the cows are much healthier and their immune systems are stronger."
The second and third place National Award winners also hail from Oregon.
The second place honors went to Perrin Farms in Woodburn, Ore. and the third
place award was bestowed upon Staehely's Valley Veue Dairy in Oregon City, who
were the winners of the 2006 National Award. The complete list of 2008
Exceptional Quality Award recipients include:

OREGON
-- Jack Perrin
-- Staehely's Valley Veue Dairy

CALIFORNIA
-- Mario & Victor Avelar

MAINE
-- Wayne & Patti Bragg
-- John & Marcia Donald

MINNESOTA
-- Paul & Amy Primus

MICHIGAN
-- Brian & Agnes Koenigsknecht

NEW HAMPSHIRE
-- James & Ellen Putnam

NEW YORK
-- Brett & Audrey Stevenson
-- Jeffrey Sheen
-- Jerry Schwartz
-- Martin Syvertson & Vickie McClain
-- Jonas Gingerich
-- Charles & Julia Deichmann
-- Brenda & Scott McAuslan
-- George & Linda Wright
-- Douglas Morse
-- Eugene Dana
-- Chris Schwartz
-- Ron Franklin

PENNSYLVANIA
-- Henry & Emma Zook
-- Samuel Kaufmann
-- Jacob K. Stoltzfus
-- Elmer F. Esh
-- Stephen & Charlotte Lyon

VERMONT
-- Michael & Marilyn Gardner
-- Dorothy & George Muzzy
-- Howacres, Inc.
-- Gene & Pamela Manning

VIRGINIA
-- Sidney Beery

WISCONSIN
-- James Greenberg

LOWEST SOMATIC CELL WINNERS:
-- Gilman Littlefield (ME): 57,567
-- Ralph Caldwell (ME): 74,058
-- John Donald (ME): 82,439

ABOUT HORIZON ORGANIC
Horizon Organic, founded in 1991, was the first certified organic dairy to
distribute products nationally in the United States. The company remains true
to its vision for a more organic planet, purchasing milk from 450 certified
organic dairy farms and providing certified organic dairy products to natural
foods retailers and supermarkets across the country. Horizon Organic's
products are produced without the use of antibiotics, growth hormones,
pesticides or cloning. That's the organic promise from our farmers to
consumers. For more information on the growing world of organic, visit
http://www.horizonorganic.com.
SOURCE Horizon Organic

Sara Loveday, +1-303-635-4680, sara.loveday@whitewave.com, for Horizon
Organic