Organic Valley farmer, others plant more than 1,200 trees to promote sustainability
Tucker Gretebeck is a farmer affiliated with the Organic Valley brand.
CASHTON, Wis. (WKBT) — Tucker Gretebeck runs All Seasons Farm in Cashton. He and members of local organizations recently planted more than 1,200 trees on the large swath of grass in his backyard.
“We’re set to offset 600 cars,” he said.
Gretebeck feels the added greenery could prevent flooding in years to come, once the trees grow in.
“We’re all after the same purpose it’s to make our community better,” he said.
“And by us putting as much water as we can here on this farm at the top of the watershed, we can prevent it coming to them down there,” Gretebeck added.
The cows on Gretebeck’s farm are all grass-fed. He attributes this method of feeding cows as the reason for their milk being especially nutrient-rich.
Gretebeck said scientists from Johns Hopkins University have tested the milk produced by his cows and that it’s all high quality.
“It’s the most nutrient-dense milk that you could make,” he said.
Gretebeck’s milk and other products produced on his farm are sold by the Organic Valley brand. Not far from All Seasons Farm is a building where many in the sales and marketing departments of Organic Valley work.
“Every day, our milk needs to be picked up from our 2,000 farmer members across the country,” said Eric Hartwig, the director of Workplace Services at Organic Valley’s Cashton building.
Organic Valley’s Cashton office building, built in 2016, uses geothermal energy for heating and cooling.
The building, which cost $24.5 million to build according to Hartwig, also has solar panels on the roof and a charging station for electric cars, among numerous other amenities that are geared toward sustainability.
Employees who work at the Cashton office building say they’re passionate about sustainability and the environment overall.
Nicole Rakobitsch is the director of sustainability at Organic Valley and she’s been with the company for almost 10 years.
“Sustainability is at the core of our mission,” she said.
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