BOULDER - The Boulder Valley School District has contracted with a cooperative of farms headquartered in Wisconsin to supply organic milk to the district's 28,000 students.

Organic Valley Family of Farms, the nation's largest cooperative of organic farmers based in La Farge, Wis., is supplying milk from its Rocky Mountain Pastures for the School Food Project, a public-private partnership with a goal of improving the health, nutrition and taste of school lunches. Organic Valley began providing its milk to students on Aug. 18 via lunch line dispensers.
 
The cooperative employs a regional milk production model, which means Organic Valley Rocky Mountain Pastures milk comes from certified organic cows pastured in Colorado, Utah and Idaho. The nearest organic dairy farm in Colorado participating in the program is the Makita Family Farm in Calhan, Colo.

The milk is being bottled and delivered by Sinton Dairy Foods Co. LLC based in Colorado Springs.
 
"School lunch programs across the nation need to make fundamental changes to improve the health and well-being of our children. Unfortunately, public schools are one of the last places where organic milk is usually found," said Chef Ann Cooper, the "Renegade Lunch Lady" and interim nutrition director for the school district. "Not only is organic milk produced without antibiotics, synthetic pesticides and hormones, making it healthier for growing children, but Organic Valley milk is healthier for our local community because it's produced by local family farmers."