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A Community Grows with Good Soil: Appreciating Our Staff

I recently took a trip to Northern California, and while there, I went to the North Coast Co-op in Arcata.  It’s a big store, which makes sense for a co-op with around 16,000 members.  As I wandered around produce and bulk, thinking about the dinner I was going to make, I kept thinking about how quiet the store was.  I noticed several customers talking to each other (FYI, a guy named James is about to quit working somewhere, and while it is too bad that he is leaving, the details are too juicy to share in public) and staff talking to staff (which apples to stock?  Did you get to the bananas?) but there were very few conversations between staff and customers.  Now, Middlebury and Arcata have similar energy and comparable politics and values.  Both are college towns that also rely on tourist dollars for their economies, and both are places with a similar emphasis on supporting local agriculture.  Employees in each store are polite and helpful and each space fills an important role in providing food. But this bigger store in a bigger city felt…different.  Why?  It can’t just be a question of scale, though that certainly factors in.  I’ve been pondering this question since I returned home, and the more I think about it, the more I come back to the staff at the MNFC.  It’s a store I’ve always thought has excellent customer service. Perhaps that customer service isn’t just about promoting the business, or increasing sales, but is also about building community. 

Shopping at the Arcata co-op has made me reflect on how I interact with our co-op staff, and how much we rely on the staff in our co-op to build the sense of community that we identify with the MNFC.  I can think of someone in almost every department that I know.  Some of those people I only know from the co-op, it is the only place we interact or see each other.  And I think that shows how important the MNFC staff are to building and maintaining our community.  It also is a good reminder for us member-owners on how we should treat co-op staff.  After all, there are 6000+ of us and 100 or so of them.  Think about those numbers the next time a cashier doesn’t need your member card because they have memorized your last name.

We’ve all heard stories of particularly heinous behavior towards people in the service and hospitality industries.  Employees of airlines, restaurants, hotels, and yes, grocery stores, are bearing the brunt of society’s frustration and anxiety over the last few years.  So I offer a challenge to anyone who is reading this.  On a future trip to the MNFC, tell a staff person something you appreciate about their work.  Or ask their name and say hello. Or strike up a short conversation.  Anything to help return that sense of community that they are preserving for all of us. 

As for the Co-op in California, maybe if I was there on a different day or time, or if I actually lived there, I would have experienced something different. I can admit that my observations could be totally false. But that doesn’t make my observations about our own co-op any less true.  People idolize small towns and describe the experience of going to a shop or store and being greeted by name as one of the perks of small-town life. Let’s celebrate that, and the reverse as well – going into your local grocery store and knowing the names of the people who know yours.

Samantha Langevin is a Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op Board Member

Spotlight on Renew Life

Looking to spice up your Wellness routine? Renew Life is featured in our Member Deals Spotlight this week and member-owners can enjoy a 20% discount on their full line of supplements from April 21st – 27th! Read on to learn more about this company and the inspiration that drives them to succeed:

Renew Life is rooted in the firm understanding that gut wellness is the foundation of good health. Twenty-five years ago, their founder Brenda Watson couldn’t find the solution to her own gut health issues and struggled to receive answers to her questions. She couldn’t find products on store shelves that could meet her needs, so she made her own solution. And ever since, the team at Renew Life has continued that legacy, helping countless others find relief, share their stories, and rise to their full potential.

Renew Life offers a full spectrum of award-winning, digestive-care supplements and functional foods, formulated from the highest quality ingredients derived from nature, with no artificial ingredients. Perhaps as equally important as the ingredients that are in their products are the ingredients that are absent from their products. They are committed to providing natural health product supplements with no artificial colors, unnecessary preservatives, or other unnecessary added materials of any kind. Renew Life stands behind the purity, potency, and efficacy of every product they develop, and their exceptional customer service, comprehensive educational programs, and superior manufacturing practices set the benchmark for others in the industry.

At Renew Life, they strive to:

  • Identify probiotic strains on package for the majority of their products
  • Guarantee potency through expiration
  • Back their claims with competent and reliable scientific evidence and clinically studied strain amounts
  • Have DNA verification of strain ID for the majority of products
  • Have third-party verification of probiotic potency and quality
  • Use scientific support to deliver live probiotics to your gut

 

Spotlight on Vermont Nut Free Chocolates

Our Member Deals Spotlight shines brightly this week on Vermont Nut Free Chocolates! From April 14th – 20th, Co-op member-owners can enjoy a 20% discount on Vermont Nut Free Chocolates’ full line of confections! Read on to learn more about the inspiration behind this line of allergen-friendly treats and the family that makes the magic happen!

 

 

Vermont Nut Free Chocolates was founded in 1998 by the mother of a little boy with a potentially life-threatening peanut allergy. Gail and Mark Elvidge first learned of their son Tanner’s allergy when he suffered a reaction at 8 months old. They were shocked, concerned, and frightened to see this reaction in their small child. To ensure their son’s safety they began to thoroughly read ingredient labels and discovered that the hardest product to find for a nut allergic child was chocolate.

Gail & Tanner Elvidge

Many chocolate companies manufacture products that contain nuts which makes their other products unsafe for nut allergies because of cross-contamination on shared production lines and facilities. Not wanting Tanner to miss out on a childhood indulgence, Gail began making homemade chocolate that was guaranteed safe. The combination of love for her son and passion for chocolate inspired Gail to create Vermont Nut Free Chocolates, a company dedicated to making quality tree nut and peanut-free confections. Vermont Nut Free Chocolates is now located in Colchester, Vermont, and is proud to continue its production in a dedicated nut-free facility with over 30 devoted employees.

They are proud to have a dedicated peanut and tree nut free facility that uses only the finest nut free ingredients available. Their products are handmade and hand-wrapped in Vermont, the old-fashioned way, in small batches to guarantee quality and freshness.

Be sure to visit their website to check out their collection of recipes for chocolate cakes and frostings using their allergen-friendly chocolate!

 

Spotlight on Lundberg Family Farms

This week, the Co-op Spotlight shines brightly on Lundberg Family Farms!  Member-Owners can enjoy 20% off their entire line of rice, rice chips, rice cakes, and risottos from April 7th – 13th! Read on to learn more about this fourth-generation family-owned company and its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible practices for more than 80 years:

Since the company was first founded by Nebraska natives Albert & Frances Lundberg in 1937, Lundberg Family Farms has remained a family-owned and operated company committed to producing the finest quality rice and rice products for your family, while respecting and sustaining the earth. Today, over 80 years later, the third and fourth generations carry on the family heritage by using organic and eco-positive farming methods that produce wholesome, healthful rice and rice products while improving and protecting the environment for generations to come.

Founder Albert Lundberg, a survivor of the dust bowl, understood the importance of caring for the soil. He recognized that the dust bowl resulted from poor soil management and short-sighted farming techniques. With this in mind, the Lundbergs made a choice to avoid growing typical conventional rice.  Their Certified Organic and Eco-Farmed rice is grown with a concern for the environment. They treat the soil, air, and water as important resources, respecting the delicate balance of nature. They are a proud participant of the Non-GMO Project, and positioned their company as an early leader in organic farming, energy conservation, use of renewable energy, providing safe and fair working conditions, and many other environmentally responsible and socially responsible practices.

A FAMILY TRADITION_1_Min from Lundberg Family Farms on Vimeo.

Lundberg Family Farms was founded on the belief of “leaving the land better than you found it.” This belief originated on the farm and helped them become a leader in organic farming. Over time, this belief has been integrated into all operations, from growing rice to producing products. Sustainability is written into every job description. It is part of everyday work on the farm and in their facilities. Lundberg’s focus on organic, non-GMO, and diverse grains helps create a food system that doesn’t drain our earth’s resources, and that puts meals on your table that are of the highest quality in every way.

Lundberg Family Farms has been a TRUE Zero Waste Certified facility since 2016 and diverts 99.6% of its waste from landfills.

As they grow and expand, they will continue to implement energy conservation and renewable energy, waste reduction and resource efficiency, safe and fair working conditions, along with many other practices that are environmentally and socially responsible. Lundberg partners with the Sustainable Food Trade Association (SFTA), One Step Closer to an Organic and Sustainable Community (OSC2), and the Climate Collaborative (CC) to help reduce their climate impacts as an organization. Click here to view their 2021 Sustainability Report.

 

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NATURE_1 min from Lundberg Family Farms on Vimeo.

Spotlight on Near East

Near East Foods is basking in the glow of the Member Deals Spotlight this week, which means that member-owners can enjoy a 20% discount on all of their products from March 31st – April 6th! Read on to learn more about the humble beginnings of this company and its commitment to Fair Trade:

 

Near East started in 1962 in Worcester, MA as a small, family-owned company. George and Hannah Kalajian immigrated from Armenia to the United States and set up a grocery store in 1940. Soon after the store opened, Hannah began serving sandwiches and home-cooked hot meals at a twelve-stool luncheonette counter adjoining the grocery store. On Wednesdays, Hannah served her specialty: roasted chicken and Armenian-style rice pilaf. A tasty combination of rice, orzo pasta, and seasoning, the pilaf quickly became so popular that Hannah began to package it – filling bags of pilaf mix by hand in her home kitchen. As demand rapidly increased, more help was added and a growing number of food distributors helped to sell the product. Over the years, production moved out of Hannah’s kitchen and into modern manufacturing facilities.

Today the Near East family of products includes more than 30 different flavors and varieties of rice pilaf, couscous, and other grain dishes, all with the same high-quality ingredients, care, and handling that Hannah put into the first batch of pilaf. Their easy-to-prepare products offer you a variety of great tastes and authentic flavors from around the world.

Near East takes pride in using only the best ingredients in their products. Most Near East products are Certified Kosher and many are Non-GMO Verified. They remain dedicated to simple, high-quality food made with recognizable ingredients and authentic herbs and spices.

Fair Trade Partnership

For the folks at Near East, Fair Trade means going back to the source to ensure that the farmers who grow their ingredients are equitably paid and are empowered to invest in their communities. Near East is proud to source Fair Trade Certified™ quinoa. Sourcing Fair Trade means empowering quinoa farming communities through an additional investment that preserves the environment, ensures fair labor practices, and builds sustainable communities.

Business of the Month: Middlebury Fitness

Looking to give your workout routine a spring makeover? Or perhaps you’ve set some new fitness goals and you’re ready to take that first step? We invite you to check out this month’s featured Co-op Connection Business — Middlebury Fitness! Flash your Co-op member-owner card and you’ll receive 50% off the enrollment fee and your first class or workout is FREE! Read on to learn more about what this community wellness center has to offer:

 

 

Middlebury Fitness is a community health and wellness center founded in 1997 that puts its members’ needs first. Their facility features a wide variety of the most current strength and cardio equipment by the leading brands in the industry. Is group fitness your thing? They offer a variety of live and remote programs and group fitness classes to meet the diverse and ever-changing needs of their member base, ranging from ages 13 to 93. Click here for their class calendar and descriptions. Other services and amenities include personal training, free equipment orientations, athletic performance training, Dietician consultations, saunas, and more!

The crew at Middlebury Fitness is incredibly proud to be so active in this great community and annually receives recognition and awards for various initiatives. For the past four consecutive years, they have received the United Way of Addison County’s “Partner Award” for an annual event that has raised $60,000 for our local friends and families in need since 2014. Wow!! They were also the 2018 recipients of the prestigious BOB (Best of Business) award in the Health Club category by Vermont Business Magazine. 

At Middlebury Fitness they understand that you have options when it comes to your health and fitness needs. They aim to meet and exceed their members’ expectations every day and believe they have some of the most attentive, caring, professional, and knowledgeable instructors, personal trainers, and staff you will find. Their ultimate goal at Midd Fit is to ensure that each of their members achieves their personal fitness goals while experiencing exceptional customer service in a supportive atmosphere of fun and camaraderie.

If you are a current member, they’d like to extend a sincere THANK YOU for being a part of the Midd Fit family! If you are not yet a member, please visit and let Middlebury Fitness guide you through your fitness journey today! And don’t forget to mention that you’re a Co-op member-owner!

In Memory of Louise Vojtisek, a Reminder to Pay with a Co-op Gift Card!

It is with an immensely heavy heart that I share the news that Louise Vojtisek, MNFC member-owner for 20 years, and Board member for 10 years passed away this winter. 

Louise was nothing short of essential and inspirational in her many years on the board. Louise was always first to volunteer for any task or committee, and she served as board secretary for many years. In her last term, Louise was a founding member of our JEDI Committee (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) and she went above and beyond to extend this work through a monthly meeting connecting with representatives from other Co-ops. 

Personally, although I only had the privilege of knowing her for six years, she made a big impact. I will never forget nervously arriving at the annual meeting after being elected for my first term, and immediately being swooped up into Louise’s warmth. “I voted for you!” she said as she marched up to me and brought me into the fold. Just a year later, after my first child was born, Louise knew that I had no family close by or formal childcare, and she offered to help out. Louise will always be remembered by my family because she was the first person I ever left my first baby with as I rushed off for a work meeting. 

Passionate doesn’t adequately describe her commitment to our Co-op and local agricultural community. One of her most well-known contributions was the fervor with which she spoke about credit card fees. Outraged that over $200,000 leave our local economy yearly because of credit card fees at the Co-op, she wrote numerous articles, spoke at the annual meeting, and told everyone at her favorite Otter Creek Yoga class about the many benefits of using an MNFC gift card in lieu of a credit card. Because of this passion, we are re-running one of Louise’s articles in her honor. I know that I will never look at a Co-op gift card without remembering Louise Vojtisek.

– Amanda Warren, MNFC Board President.

From Louise’ original blogpost in 2021:

When you purchase food at the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op (MNFC), you support the hundreds of local producers who live in our area, and you are keeping the money in local circulation. And, as a member-owner, you own shares in this store and will receive an annual patronage refund based on your purchase history! The shares you hold represent your whole-hearted commitment to community-produced and distributed healthy foods.  

Did you know you can increase another aspect of “keeping it local” by simply adjusting how you pay at checkout? In past articles I’ve written to make folks aware of this topic, I noted that MNFC paid more than $100,000, then $150,000, and then the number was close to $200,000 in annual credit card fees! The fees have been increasing each year. Last year in 2020, we paid $272,161 in credit card fees! Consider that this startling amount of money is extracted from our local community and flows to out-of-state banks. Think about what could be done locally with these funds, either through increased community support, or improvements in customer services. While I certainly do not want to “guilt” anyone for using a credit card, there are options to consider for avoiding those fees. The use of checks or cash is one possibility, but this is not always convenient.

The easiest way to avoid the fees and using up checks or having cash on hand is to use an MNFC Gift Card for all of your Co-op purchases. This card can be obtained from any cashier, and you decide how much money you want on the card. Simply write a check for that amount, then use the gift card every time you shop. The card acts like a credit card with your money on it, but there are no fees. It is another form of “cash” and thus should be kept in a secure place. There is a number associated with each card that can be found on the back. I keep a photo of the id number of my card on my phone so it is always handy and secure. If you lose the card, the card can be deactivated if you have the number, and a cashier can look up your balance and apply it to a new card.  The gift card works just like a credit card or check or cash and is linked to your coop account.  The balance of the card shows up at the bottom of each receipt every time you make a  purchase so you can keep track. When the balance runs low, simply write another check or use cash to load the same card with more money! I tend to reload each month, and it keeps me on my food budget! I remind you that writing a check or using cash to add money to the card is the way to go; if you use a debit or credit card, it defeats the purpose.

There are several advantages to this process:

  • You can budget what you believe is reasonable for you to spend at the Co-op, say for a month’s time, and keep track of your spending.
  • Going through the checkout line is extremely quick and efficient. The cashier scans your card, you get a receipt, and you’re done! Nothing to sign, no check to write, no numbers to punch in, no waiting for change. The cashiers like the ease of this process and you’re apt to get some unsolicited positive regard from them.
  • During the surge of COVID, using the gift card minimizes contact involved with using common pens, dealing with the credit card terminal, and handling cash.
  • Finally, remember that an MNFC gift card is a wonderful way to give anyone a present, for any occasion. An MNFC gift card can encourage someone new to the Co-op to make their first visit and can introduce long time customers to this very efficient way of paying for purchases.
  • Most importantly, using a Coop gift card this way eliminates the credit and debit card fees the Co-op has to pay to banks and financial. Don’t forget, debit cards have fees as well!

Once you try it, you’ll wonder why you have not done this all along. It is such a quick and convenient way to pay for your groceries, and keep your dollars local – it is truly a win-win. This is how I have paid for my MNFC shopping for the last five years, and I intend to for the next five years and more! It’s a great intention to set for the rest of 2021, I encourage you to give it a go!  I think you’ll love it!

Louise Vojtisek was a long-time Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op Board Member.  She will be missed.

Spotlight on CLIF

Warmer weather is returning and outdoor adventures await, so we think you’ll be excited to hear that CLIF Bar & Company is featured in our Member Deals Spotlight! Member-owners can enjoy a 20% discount on their full line of protein bars from March 24th – 30th so it’s a great time to stock up and save before hitting the trail! Read on to learn more about this employee-owned business and the forces that drive them to do things differently:

 

In 1990, during a one-day, 175-mile bike ride—forever to be known as The Epiphany Ride—an exhausted and hungry Gary Erickson realized he couldn’t choke down another unappetizing energy bar. And just like that, the idea for a better tasting bar was born! Erikson spent a few years testing recipes in his mother’s kitchen until he landed on the first CLIF bar recipe and he chose to name it after his father, Clifford, who first introduced him to wilderness adventures and encouraged him to follow his passions in life. 

Ten years later, the company was enjoying success and making an impact in the food scene when Erikson and his partner Kit Crawford were presented with a $120-million offer to sell the company. Ultimately, they chose to walk away from this offer, keeping the company family-owned and values-focused, recognizing that to do more good in the world, CLIF needed to stay private, grow naturally, and sustain itself over time – patience over greed, purpose guiding profit.

By 2010, they took this a step farther by transitioning the business to an employee-owned model by offering 20% of their family-owned common stock to CLIF employees through an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). CLIF funds the ESOP annually—it costs employees nothing. Kind of like a 401k plan, except that employees don’t have to put any of their own money into it! With each passing year, employees receive more shares from Clif Bar, the price per share hopefully grows in value, and upon retirement, employees sell their shares back to CLIF, which pays them the value of the stock at that time.

When it comes to doing business, the folks at CLIF Bar & Company believe in a different kind of bottom-line guided by 5 aspirations: 

Sustaining our People

Being family- and employee-owned means taking care of their people and their families because healthy, inspired people create delicious and nutritious food. CLIF offers paid volunteer and workout time (with their own in-house trainers), subsidized on-site daycare for all the little Clifsters, six-week paid sabbaticals, and an employee stock-ownership program.

Sustaining our Communities

From the volunteer work they do locally to the way they source ingredients globally, their commitment to the communities they touch is an important part of their identity. Globally, this means sourcing organic and sustainably grown food. For example, their cacao and palm oil are Rainforest Alliance Certified™. The Rainforest Alliance supports a healthy environment, promotes the well-being of workers and their communities, and strictly prohibits child labor.

They also created In Good Company® – an alliance of values-driven businesses working together for a shared purpose. They listen to people in local communities define their needs and then volunteer time to tackle projects focused on food, environmental restoration, and rebuilding after natural disasters.

Last but not least, CLIF® CORPS encourages CLIF employees to volunteer their services in the community on company time. The way they see it, cultivating community together makes them stronger as individuals and as a company. 

Sustaining the Planet

The team at CLIF is inspired by the challenge of running a business based on ecological principles. They describe their model for sustainability in four simple words: Think Like a Tree. Trees run on renewable energy, recycle all waste, and sustain and improve the places they grow. As a food company, Think Like a Tree means that CLIF is working to craft food with organic, sustainable ingredients, made with renewable energy, packed in eco-friendly packaging, and delivered by transportation that doesn’t pollute. 84% of their ingredients are Certified Organic and/or Certified Sustainable, 90% of their waste is diverted from landfills and incinerators from CLIF bakeries, and they use 100% green power for their LEED-certified facilities. Click here to learn more about CLIF Bar & Company’s sustainability initiatives.

Sustaining our Brands

Creating brands with integrity, quality, and authenticity means crafting good food from sustainably sourced ingredients. Their commitment to organic and sustainably sourced ingredients guides them to make the right choices for farmers, communities, and the awesome people who love our CLIF®, LUNA®, and CLIF Kid® brands. They listen attentively to athletes, foodies, and the people they meet at events to tap natural demand and follow long-term trends, not short-term fads. But most importantly, they never lose sight of the fact that all the food from each of their brands is a tasty expression of their values and helps contribute to a healthier, more sustainable planet.

Sustaining our Business

Building a healthy, resilient company means that CLIF can invest in the long term, be a catalyst for change, and do more good in the world. Today, remaining a healthy business gives them the power to support their brands, their people, their community, and the planet…not to mention have a ton of fun doing it every day!

Spotlight on Sunja’s

We’re shining a bright Member Deals Spotlight on Sunja’s this week!  This local business has been keeping our shelves stocked with authentic Korean kimchi since the early 1990s. In fact, their team tells us that our Co-op was one of their very first retail accounts! All of Sunja’s nutrient-dense, probiotic-packed products are 20% off for member-owners from March 17th – 23rd, so it’s a great time to stock up and save! Read on to learn more about the inspiration behind this local woman-owned business carrying on the Korean kimchi-making tradition for Vermonters to enjoy:

The seed for Sunja’s Oriental Foods was first planted in 1993 when Sunja Hayden began offering cooking classes in her small Northfield, Vermont community. Participants couldn’t get enough of her healthy, delicious traditional Korean foods, which inspired Sunja to began producing food for a retail market. Another motivating force was her awareness of the fact that so many foods we consume contain unhealthy chemical additives and preservatives. Sunja understood the critical role of all-natural, preservative-free, non-GMO foods for health and wellness and wanted to share more of her traditional foods with her community. 

According to Sunja, “I started my company in 1993 because of my affection for healthy eating and my desire to serve my family and friends good, real, healthy food. My love for preparing delicious and healthy meals soon transformed into a desire to do the same for others. I believe in the importance of natural foods with live enzymes, which help the digestive process.”

Sunja making a batch of kimchi in the early days of launching her business.

Here at the Co-op, you’ll find a lineup of several varieties of Sunja’s kimchi. This traditional fermented Korean dish is typically served as a condiment at every meal and there are hundreds of varieties of Korean kimchi depending on regional and family preferences. Kimchi is raw, living food that is rich in flavor, high in nutritional value, and naturally fermented to create rich probiotics from the live beneficial bacteria present on the vegetables. The fermentation process also makes the nutrients in the vegetables more bioavailable and easily assimilated by our bodies. The end product offers a robust source of beta-carotene, calcium, iron, and Vitamins A, C, B1, and B2.  It also boasts a long list of potential health benefits including improved gut health, digestion, and immunity. 

Sunja’s kimchi is produced in Waterbury, VT, and the fresh vegetables are sourced locally whenever possible. Sunja is proud to support local farms and is very particular about how the produce is grown for her kimchi, specifying that her kimchi is made with the freshest vegetables and does not contain any preservatives, sugar, MSG, or additives of any kind. Sunja’s products are also naturally gluten-free and vegan and are third-party verified by the Non-GMO Project. 

 

Whether you’re new to eating kimchi or a seasoned pro, we think you’ll love the recipes on Sunja’s webpage! They’ll provide plenty of inspiration for ways to enjoy this Korean superfood!

Spotlight on Jasper Hill Farm

If you’re a lover of Vermont artisan cheese, then you’re likely no stranger to the producer basking in the glow of this week’s Member Deals Spotlight — Jasper Hill Farm. And we think you’ll be thrilled to hear that from March 10th – 16th, Co-op member-owners can enjoy a 20% discount on their full lineup of award-winning local cheeses! Read on to learn more about the brothers behind this epic operation, their innovative approach to cheesemaking, and the legendary underground cellars where they age cheeses to ripe perfection:

 

Deep in the heart of the dairy country of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom is a dairy farm like no other. A glimpse of the main barn, painted deep-space blue with cows in astronaut attire and a moon made of cheese, provides the first hint that you’ve landed somewhere unique. Brothers Andy and Mateo, along with their wives, Victoria and Angie, knew they needed to do something different when they purchased this derelict dairy farm in 1998 — the same year that one-third of the neighboring dairy farms in the community sold their cows under intense financial pressures. Small-scale farms like this were becoming more difficult to keep up and running – a 50 cow farm like theirs would have to compete with average herd sizes of about 900 cows out west, as all of that milk is priced by the same commodity market. But the brothers were eager to find meaningful work in the place that they loved and wanted to demonstrate the ability to make a good living milking 45 grass-fed Ayrshire cows on a rocky hillside in Vermont. 

Brothers Andy & Mateo Kehler. Image by Colin Clark.

Over the next 5 years, they worked hard to patch up the barn, build up their herd, improve their pastures, construct a creamery, and carve out a cave that would provide the ideal conditions for aging European-style natural rind cheeses. By 2003, they were ready to sell their very first cheeses and quickly amassed a strong following in the burgeoning American artisan cheese market. An interesting call from neighboring Cabot Creamery would change the course of their plans and set them down a path that involved creating opportunities for other local cheesemakers to get their product to peak potential. Like most cheesemakers, Cabot lacked a space dedicated to cultivating natural rinds. In fact, their warehouses were focused on keeping surface mold away from cheese. The Kehlers were nearby, hungry to grow their business, and most importantly, had a temperature and humidity controlled space designed to grow natural rinds. The result was Cabot Clothbound Cheddar and the awards and accolades soon followed, as one of the first batches took home Best of Show at the 2006 American Cheese Society Conference.  Andy & Mateo recognized the potential in these kinds of collaborations and drew up plans for an expanded aging facility beneath one of the pastures of Jasper Hill Farm.

The Cellars at Jasper Hill

Two years later, they formally opened the Cellars at Jasper Hill —  a 22,000 square-foot aging facility featuring seven vaults specifically calibrated for various cheese types. This allowed them to partner with a network of other local cheesemakers and reduce the barriers to entry for those interested in value-added production. According to their website, “ripening work for natural-rind cheeses takes up more than 70% of the labor for a batch of cheese, over its lifetime. By pooling these efforts, farmstead producers could spend more time focusing on the true drivers of cheese quality: milk production and cheesemaking. Instead of sending hundreds of small boxes through the post, refrigerated trucks now pick up pallets of cheese destined for regional and national distributors. The Cellars is now the final stop for cheeses coming from six different creameries. Its mission is to be the standard-bearer for quality and innovation in the artisan cheese industry.”

The award-winning Harbison. Image by Bob Montgomery

Andy & Mateo have a knack for distilling the local landscape into their cheeses. They took this approach to new heights in 2013 when they opened a state-of-the-art laboratory on their farm, complete with a staff of food microbiology experts. The idea for this new endeavor was sparked by their partnership with Harvard scientist Dr. Rachel Dutton in 2010, who was using cheese as a model to research how small microbial communities interact. One of the profound discoveries of Dr. Dutton’s work was the notion that the environment (cows, cheese caves, pastures) and methods (washing, salting, managing acidity) were as important to the development of cheese rinds, if not more so, than the ingredients. Microbes, including yeast and bacteria, are critical partners in the cheesemaking process, turning milk into solids, and those solids into cheeses with distinctive aromas, flavors, and textures. American cheesemakers have very limited options when sourcing the cultures for their cheeses, as there are only three domestic suppliers of these critical microbes, all of which are multinational chemical corporations, including DuPont and Cargill. This significantly limits the number of available cultures and stifles the individualism that artisanal cheesemakers crave.

The happy grass-fed cows of Jasper Hill Farm. Image by Blake Noyes.

With strong science to support Dr. Dutton’s findings, a new lab, and a team of microbiologists lending their expertise, Jasper Hill Farm has been able to experiment with creating their own microbial cultures, which are sourced directly from the milk produced by the cows on their farm. They have also found that their raw milk cheeses, like Winnimere, contain all of the microbes needed to produce a fantastic cheese, thus avoiding the need to add microbial cultures. While this all may sound very high-tech for something as rudimentary farmstead cheese, Andy and Mateo are quick to point out that a cheese will never be better than the milk that it’s made from, you can’t make good milk without healthy animals, and you can’t have healthy animals without a healthy landscape filled with nutrient-dense forage. The microbial ecology of raw milk is the sum of these practices on a farm.

The proof of success lies in the supreme quality of the cheeses coming out of the Cellars at Jasper Hill. Their cheeses have garnered a long list of awards including ‘Best American Cheese’ at the World Cheese Awards and ‘Best in Show’ at the American Cheese Society for Harbison; an American Cheese Society ‘Best in Class’ for Bayley Hazen Blue, and two Top 20 nods at the 2020 World Championship Cheese Contest for Highlander and Lait Bloomer. If you’re worried it might all be going to their heads, a quick trip to their YouTube channel will reassure you that they’re not taking themselves too seriously. The music video parodies are a must-see, as is a clip of their Bayley Hazen Blue being shot into Earth’s outer atmosphere with the help of a weather balloon, an HD camera, and GPS tracking software. The cheese was successfully lofted 100,000 feet up and then retrieved where it parachuted down a couple of towns to the west of the Greensboro, VT launch site. Talk about stellar cheese!!

The Bayley Hazen Blue Moon launch. Image by Ryan Nolan.