BROOMFIELD, Colo. (Sept. 18, 2025) – Horizon Organic, a pioneer in organic dairy and the largest USDA-certified organic milk and dairy brand in the world, operates under the belief that doing business and doing good should coexist and can be mutually beneficial. This month, Horizon is demonstrating its ongoing commitment to farmer partnership by today announcing the recipients of 2025 Horizon Organic Producer Education (HOPE) Scholarships and HOPE Awards, as well as sponsorship of Farm Aid 40. Horizon has a more than 30-year history of partnering with family farmers, building one-on-one relationships and investing in farmers in a way that allows them to operate more sustainable businesses.
Nearly 150,000 family owned and operated dairy farms ceased operations in the United States between 2017 to 2022, and approximately 300,000 of the 1.3 million active farmers are under the age of 35. Horizon Organic is committed to helping farmers be able to make decisions that lead to thriving farms by bolstering the future of organic farming and advancing the current food system. The HOPE Scholarship is an annual program that encourages young people from Horizon Organic farm families to seek careers within organic or sustainable agriculture and/or large animal veterinary science. The HOPE Awards are announced annually to celebrate Horizon Organic’s family farmer partners who demonstrate excellence and leadership in organic dairy farming.
The HOPE programs celebrate the achievements of Horizon Organic’s farmer partners who are raising the bar for organic dairy farming. Farmers learn how to care for their land through direct observation, hands-on experience, experimentation, and generational wisdom. They are not only experts, but also crucial partners in researching, innovating, and applying practices that contribute to more resilient agriculture.
“This month we are recognizing all our farmer partners do to provide Horizon Organic with high-quality organic milk, while also advancing organic farming overall and inspiring the next generation to join the organic movement,” said Tyler Holm, CEO of Horizon Family Brands. “From our Legacy HOPE Award winner, Chuck Deichmann, who has been supplying milk to Horizon for more than 25 years, to the scholarship recipients just beginning their farming career, we are proud of the partnership we share with each of our family farmer partners.”
Over the past 18 years, the HOPE Scholarship program has awarded 85 scholarships to young family members, including children or grandchildren, of Horizon farmer partners, totaling $236,500 in scholarships. This year’s scholarship winners are:
- Macey Dahl (Pavilion, N.Y.), Cottonwood Farms LLC
- Evan Frescura (Latrobe, Pa.), Sunrise Ridge Farm
- Jack Fry (Chestertown, Md.), Fair Hill Farms
- Rachel Hatch (Freedom, N.Y.), Emary Springs Farm
- Zackary Tillotson (Pavilion, N.Y.), Cottonwood Farms LLC
"Being named a 2025 HOPE Scholarship recipient for the third time is an incredible honor for both me and my family,” said HOPE Scholarship recipient Zackary Tillotson. “The financial support is meaningful, but more important is the recognition of the hard work and dedication that family farms like ours put into agriculture every day. It means so much to know that Horizon values the next generation of farmers and is committed to supporting our future. I’m extremely grateful for this investment in my education, while preparing to build on my family’s legacy in farming and continue our strong relationship with Horizon."
HOPE Award recipients exemplify the power to create positive change in their communities by embracing and bringing to life the spirit of organic principles, serving as a model for other organic farmers and helping to secure the future of organic dairy farming. This year’s HOPE Award winners are:
- Farmer/Partner of the Year Award: Ben Stoltzfus (Parkesburg, Pa.), Swampy Hollow Farm
- Nature Award: Todd Frescura (Latrobe, Pa.), Frescura Farm and Sunrise Ridge Farm
- Social Award: Matt & Megan Fry (Chestertown, Md.), Fair Hill Farms
- Innovative/Pioneering Award: Riley Smith (American Falls, Idaho), Nature Ridge Organic Dairy
- Legacy Award: Chuck Deichmann (Belmont, N.Y.), Willow Creek Farm
- Young Farmer Award: Daniel Sparks (Cassopolis, Mich.), Sparks Cedarlee Farm
- Hauler of the Year: Idaho Milk Transport (Burley, Idaho)
This year, Horizon Organic is proud to be a sponsor of Farm Aid 40 and has invited Horizon farmer and hauler partners to this celebration of family farms. Horizon has a long history, spanning more than 20 years, of sponsoring and inviting farmers to attend Farm Aid.
Horizon Organic is part of Horizon Family Brands, a portfolio of purposeful wellness brands that includes Wallaby Organic Yogurt. The mission of Horizon Family Brands is to inspire healthier living, which nourishes our collective potential for good. Horizon Family Brands continues to see opportunities to do things differently, pushing our food system forward. The company operates from a belief that to make high-quality food, it has to nourish a happy, healthy future for farmers, families, animals and the land. For more information on Horizon Organic’s commitment to farmers, visit the Horizon Organic website.
About Horizon Organic
Founded in 1991, two generations of families—and counting—have grown up on Horizon Organic® milk. From the start, as the leading organic milk producer in the U.S., Horizon Organic has been committed to delivering innovative, nourishing dairy that growing families can rely on. As a certified B Corp, Horizon Organic works with more than 500 farmers across the U.S. to bring high-quality, certified organic milk to consumers. For more information on Horizon Organic’s full portfolio of organic dairy products, visit horizon.com.
About Horizon Family Brands
Horizon Family Brands is currently comprised of market leaders Horizon Organic and Wallaby Organic. These two legacy brands have helped shape the organic movement and have also nourished families for decades. The mission of Horizon Family Brands is to inspire healthier living, which nourishes the collective potential for good. For more information about Horizon Family Brands, please visit horizonfamilybrands.com.
About Farm Aid
Farm Aid’s mission is to build a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture in America. Farm Aid artists and board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews and Margo Price host an annual festival to raise funds to support Farm Aid’s work with family farmers and to inspire people to choose family farm food. Since 1985, Farm Aid, with the support of the artists who contribute their performances each year, has raised more than $85 million to support programs that help farmers thrive, expand the reach of the Good Food Movement, take action to change the dominant system of industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms.
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