CCOF Foundation Virtual Teatime: Organic Livestock and Dairy

For the CCOF Foundation’s next virtual teatime, Albert Straus and Joseph Button of Straus Family Creamery join us to discuss organic livestock management and the benefits of small, organic dairy producers. Moderated by Senior Policy Advocate Laetitia Benador, we will bring together farmers, ranchers, and stakeholders in our community to have an open conversation about the solutions CCOF and the CCOF Foundation offer to producers in need as well as the environmental benefits of organic dairy producers who actively regenerate our land.

Grab a cup of tea, log into Zoom, and come prepared with questions about organic livestock and dairy for our experts.

About Our Speakers

Albert Straus is the founder of Straus Family Creamery. He is an organic dairy farmer who grew up in Marshall, California, and converted his family farm—Straus Dairy Farm—to organic in 1994, becoming the first certified organic dairy farm west of the Mississippi River. In the same year, he founded Straus Family Creamery, the first 100% certified organic creamery in the United States and the first creamery in North America to be Non-GMO Project Verified. Albert has been a leader in sustainable organic farming for decades, advocating for family farms, true cost of production and climate-positive dairy practices. Albert is committed to creating a carbon-neutral dairy farming model on the Straus Dairy Farm in the near future and Straus Family Creamery is incentivizing its community of dairy farms in Marin and Sonoma Counties to reach carbon neutrality by 2030.

Albert has been recognized internationally for his substantial environmental accomplishments. In 2021, he joined The Clean Economy Employment Now (“CLEEN”) Project’s advisory board, bringing his expertise in sustainable organic farming practices to the nation’s first co-operative idea database designed specifically for federal leaders. Fast Company named Albert one of 2020’s Most Creative People in Business. Led by Albert’s longtime vision, in 2019, the Marshall Creamery became the first in the world to receive TRUE® Zero Waste Certification.

Joseph Button is the Vice President of Sustainability & Strategic Impact at Straus Family Creamery. He has worked at Straus Family Creamery since 2016. In his role, Joseph implements best-in-industry practices related to environmental sustainability throughout the mission-driven company’s operations. Joseph also works to ensure the generational viability of organic dairy farms in Northern California by driving initiatives that improve the farms’ ecological health and the farmers’ financial resilience. Joseph was instrumental in helping Straus Family Creamery secure TRUE® Zero Waste Certification and establishing a new sustainability reporting methodology.

Joseph has worked in the field of sustainability for more than ten years. He has graduate degrees in business management and international environmental policy. He is a firm believer that a thriving and successful business will manage the triple bottom line. Before Straus Family Creamery, Joseph held a variety of positions in business consulting, climate policy, energy efficiency, and humanitarian development.

About Our Moderator

Laetitia Benador serves as Senior Policy Advocate of California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), representing the interests of organic producers in state and federal policy and programs. Laetitia specializes in organic livestock and meat processing issues and organic market and supply chain development. Born in Switzerland, Laetitia spent her early childhood on a dairy farm where she fell in love with cows and begged her parents to fill her baby bottle with fondue. Laetitia has worked on organic and biodynamic diversified vegetable, livestock, and dairy operations and holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley in Political Economy.

More Information & Zoom link

Kindly send questions to CCOF Foundation Donor Relations Manager Shawna Rodgers at srodgers@ccof.org.

Find us in the Zoom meeting here on May 23rd:

https://ccof.zoom.us/j/82428277060?pwd=kscNaPxKP0uoFBZh4DqBcbCkUOFhh6.1