"I came in with a social and environmental mission — not a money-making mission — that’s what made it a success." — Stonyfield Organic co-founder Gary Hirshberg.
In 1983, co-founders Samuel Kaymen and Gary Hirshberg were running a nonprofit organic farming school on a small New Hampshire farm and were on a mission to help family farms survive, keep food and food production healthy, and help protect the environment. But the school needed funding. So they used milk from the farm's seven cows and began selling really good yogurt.
The yogurt was a hit. A big one. And Samuel and Gary realized that a successful organic company could make a bigger difference for family farms, people and the planet than their school could.
Today, Stonyfield Organic opens in a new tabproudly makes organic yogurts, smoothies, dairy-free yogurts, frozen yogurts, milk and cream. They call themselves "obsessively organic," and like all organics, their products are produced without the use of toxic persistent pesticides, synthetic growth hormones, antibiotics or GMOs.
Co-founders Samuel Kaymen and Gary Hirshberg
The company is still located New Hampshire — about 30 miles east of the original farm — but now their organic ingredient purchases support a huge network of food producers made up of hundreds of organic family farms, thousands of organic cows and more than 200,000 organic acres.
Stonyfield has also pioneered planet-friendly business practices from offsetting their yogurt works’ emissions, to making yogurt cups from plants instead of petroleum, to making their own renewable energy. These efforts have awarded Stonyfield a B Corp Certification, given to companies that use business as a force for good. It means they meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.
The thought and passion that started Stonyfield has only grown stronger — and they’ve never stopped working for healthy food, healthy people and a healthy planet.
Find Stonyfield products at your local Whole Foods Market. opens in a new tab
