If you cruise by the organic section of your grocery store and think those products are for “someone else,” think again. Though some believe this is an industry still in its infancy, about 39 percent of the U.S. population use organic products. Insiders figure the industry is growing at the rate of 20 percent annually.

None of that is news to Organic Valley Family of Farms. Conceived by seven forward-thinking farmers in 1988, the company is now comprised of 723 families who proudly produce the foods and actually own the company. Currently, Organic Valley represents 10 percent of all organic farmers in the United States.

From her international headquarters in La Farge, Wis., (population 775), Organic Valley’s exuberant chief marketing officer, Theresa Marquez, unabashedly confesses that the company’s uncommon creativity in content-driven solutions — such as magazines, newsletters and educational events — exists because “we don’t have any money!”

“Most brands’ advertising budget is between $6 million and $30 million annually; our main competition does $10.5 billion business in total sales,” says Marquez. “Our annual sales this year are projected to be more than $300 million. So we ask ourselves: ‘What captures people’s imaginations and is sincere, fun, helps us build our brand and tell our story?’”

Marquez puts farmers “out front” at the core of the co-op’s initiatives, providing them with get-comfortable media training before sending them out as speakers. “Telling stories is the foundation of our marketing,” avows Marquez.

Nowhere is that more evident than in the content the company produces for Web and printed distribution.

Organic Valley supports four Web sites, and each caters to a different audience. The main one, organicvalley.coop, is a palette of uncommon initiatives such as Farm Friends, a grassroots education curriculum that will soon be a non-profit foundation. It encourages membership — at no cost — to “learn, grow and make some noise!” Members receive the newsletter, Rootstock, which includes news of note and recipes. The tabloid-sized newsletter mails free to those who request it and is also distributed through retail outlets and at sponsored events.

Recent articles in Rootstock included a profile of an organic community in Vermont, nutritional information for kids and a story on an Organic Valley-sponsored educational initiative in Colombia.

This printed piece serves as a catalyst to build interest and drive traffic to the organization’s Web sites where consumers can learn more about organic products.

A content-focused strategy makes sense because a lot of what Organic Valley does is built around education, says Sue McGovern, who handles the co-op’s publicity.

“One of the things about organic agriculture is that it’s a new industry, and so part of our job as marketers is to educate consumers and give them information about the benefits of organic food,” she says. “And the best way to educate people is through third-party interactions.”

Through those interactions, the co-op reaches out to a wide variety of different audiences, including children, mothers and prospective organic farmers. While the formats vary, the message remains the same: educating people on the benefits of organic products.

Getting consumers involved is key. Consider Organic Valley’s Earth Dinner. This new concept, for Earth Day in April, is “an opportunity for you to understand, at least for one night, where each ingredient on your table comes from.” Dinner party guests share the story behind each dish. Visit earthdinner.org to obtain a set of entertaining Creativity Cards.

A company on the move, Organic Valley happily measures success not by sales alone but by the number of farmers it keeps on the land. The folks in La Farge are smiling: Business is good.