Organic dairy has outperformed traditional dairy products by appealing to customers who look for the “USDA Organic” seal and view it as a guarantee of fresher, healthier products. According to the Organic Trade Association, parents between the ages of 18 to 34 are the largest group of shoppers who buy organic, and they are an ever-growing influence in the marketplace.

Excess supplies and lower prices led Organic Valley to post an after-tax loss of about $10 million in 2017, its first loss in 20 years, according to Dairy Herd. And this was in spite of the cooperative’s 4% sales jump that year — and total gross sales of $1.1 billion.

Organic Valley’s 2,043 farm members spread across 35 states are paid about twice as much for their milk as conventional dairy farmers, which puts them in a more solid financial position as long as supplies moderate and prices stay up.