Organic Valley campaign declares end to 60-Year 'War on Butter'

LA FARGE, Wis. -- The leading organic dairy brand in the U.S. has enlisted farmers to star in a digital campaign that encourages consumers to embrace the benefits of eating butter.

Organic Valley, the farmer-owned cooperative of more than 1,800 organic family farms, is launching a holiday campaign celebrating the end of the "War on Butter" (the story of how butter and fats were once blamed for every negative health trend from obesity to heart disease, according to the brand). 

"The last five years have seen a sea-change in thinking on saturated fats, including those in dairy food," says Nina Teicholz, investigative science journalist and author of the bestselling The Big Fat Surprise. "More than a dozen systematic reviews and meta-analyses now reveal that saturated fats have no effect on your risk of dying from heart disease. Also, there's at least one rigorous new clinical trial showing that full-fat dairy is actually better than low-fat dairy for fighting heart disease."

Organic Valley has hired artists to live-sculpt the faces of our nation's Butter Heroes out of organic butter at TheWarOnButter.com. The effort will kick off with a sculpture of George Siemon, a founding farmer of Organic Valley and "CEIEIO" of the pioneering cooperative. From Nov. 15-22, consumers can nominate their own Butter Heroes via Twitter and invite friends and family to vote for their favorites. Each day's winner will be sculpted in real organic butter. 

The website also features coupon offers for Organic Valley butter, showcases recipes such as Maple Pecan Pumpkin Bread and Chai Snickerdoodles, and elaborates on Organic Valley's philosophy that slow-churning in small batches using milk from pasture-raised cows results in better butter.