Emerging Sector
Grass Point Farms corners marketplace with “humane” line of pasture-based dairy products.
According to recent market research, many consumers want to purchase dairy products from farms that adhere to higher standards of animal and environmental care. A Whole Foods Market nationwide survey reports that 48 percent of consumers believe humane animal treatment is important.
Thorp, Wis.-based Grass Point Farms, a new dairy
manufacturer that offers pasture-raised dairy products, hopes to become the
market leader by offering consumers the first national line of
certified-humane, pasture-based dairy products.
The number of supermarkets asking for so-called humane
products is also increasing. In fact, a year and a half after the first
certified-humane products hit store shelves, New York-based
D’Agostinos Supermarkets is encouraging all of its livestock,
poultry, dairy and egg suppliers to seek the “humane-raised and
handled” certification through Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC). The
23-store D’Agostinos chain now carries five Grass Point Farm cheeses
and plans to carry the company’s milk products in the future.
Nick D’Agostino, president of D’Agostinos
Supermarkets, says his company learned about HFAC from a supplier. “A
lot of people would enjoy meat and dairy more if the concern about how the
animal was treated is taken away,” he says. “That is why we
were looking for a way to be certain the products we sell have truly earned
the right to call themselves humane. We spent some time evaluating HFAC.
The fact that the organization uses third-party certification, and is
supported by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,
was important to us. Its credibility and Grass Point Farms products bring
many benefits to the marketplace.”
Grass Point Farms is comprised of nine family farms
that graze dairy cows on Wisconsin’s rich grasslands, employing
traditional rotational grazing methods used by the region’s original
farmers. Successful “graziers,” as they are sometimes called,
spend years creating an ecosystem in which soils, plants, wetlands,
woodlands and cows coexist in a balance that supports the cows’
natural behavior.
Chad Pawlak, president of Grass Point Farms, says
grassland grazing greatly enhances a cow’s health and vitality. A
typical dairy cow takes 6,000 bites of grass each day, he says, and for
each bite the cow harvests for herself, consumers benefit from reduced
costs associated with the farmer harvesting the grass, processing it into
bale form, storing the grass and then delivering the grass as a meal.
Pawlak argues conventional dairy farming takes a toll
on animals. “Too many cows spend their entire life on cement, never
even seeing sunshine for years. Feed on some lots is so dense that it
literally blows the cows up and makes them physically uncomfortable. Many
are milked several times a day which is hard on an animal,” says Dave
Wilson, whose family farm in Antigo, Wis. is one of Grass Point
Farms’ producers and investors. “I would like every consumer to
know that buying pasture-raised dairy products is the only way to be sure
where the milk comes from, how it is produced and how the animals are
treated.”
To meet Grass Point Farms’ standards,
farmers must graze their cows when it’s in season in the spring
through October; the rest of the time, herds rely on harvested grasses and
some organic grain. As part of the grazing requirement, the company’s
producers must abide by written grazing standards. “This is the first
set of written grazing standards,” Pawlak says. “On top of
that, there are 23 pages of ‘certified humane’ standards a
Grass Point farmer must agree to follow.”
Tail docking is not allowed, he says, nor is the
routine feeding of antibiotics. “Farmers wanting to ship milk to
Grass Point Farms are not allowed to use bovine growth hormone (BGH)
either.”
Grass Point Farms also includes a farm labor
requirement. Its producers must have “more than 50 percent” of
the farm labor provided by the family. The idea behind that requirement,
says Pawlak, is to assure people who buy Grass Point Farms dairy products
that the milk was not produced on large-scale corporate farms.
Four Wisconsin processing plants are under contract
with Grass Point Farms. Its current offerings include 11 varieties of
cheese in both retail as well as deli packaging, along with milk and
butter. In the fall, Palak says, the company will add sour cream and
cottage cheese to its product line.
These products are being sold at lower prices than
organic dairy products, but for more than so-called
“conventional” dairy products. “It lets consumers decide
what’s important to them,” Pawlak says.
For more information, visit www.grasspoint.com.
Image Makers
Product and promotion news
Roth Käse USA Ltd., Monroe, Wis., captured four awards at the 23rd annual American
Cheese Society (ASC) Competition, held July 21 in Portland, Ore. This is
the third consecutive year the company’s GranQueso has claimed first
place in its category, after taking its second consecutive gold at this
year’s World Cheese Awards in June. “GranQueso is now one of
our most decorated cheeses, with seven top honors to its credit. It won its
award — a first place at the 2004 ACS Awards — in its first
year of production,” says Fermo Jaeckle, chief executive officer of
Roth Käse. “GranQueso is truly an original, unique creation for
us, and is becoming one of our most popular cheeses. It joins our Grand Cru
Gruyère and MezzaLuna Fontina as the cheeses we are the most proud
of.” Roth Käse cheeses are hand-crafted by master cheesemakers
according to traditional techniques. With roots in Switzerland, the company
is now a leading manufacturer and marketer of award-winning specialty
cheeses. For more information about Roth Käse, visit www.rothkase.com.
Between this year’s
American Cheese Society (ACS) Competition and the 2006 Wisconsin State Fair
(WSF), Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese LLC., Waterloo, Wis., captured top awards in the competitive
world of cheesemaking. At this year’s Wisconsin State Fair, Crave
Brothers’ Petit Frère earned 1st Place honors. Raised on a 40-cow dairy farm near
Beloit, Wis., the Crave brothers began farming together in 1978 in Mount
Horeb, milking 57 cows on a rented farm. They purchased their Waterloo
dairy farm in 1980 with the goal of building a successful agribusiness. The
brothers soon began milking 100 cows and farming 300 acres. Over the years,
the company has concentrated on increasing the efficiency and productivity
of our now 600-cow dairy farm. The brothers say they are proud to produce
and promote high-quality milk and cheese. Through the dairy farm and cheese
factory, they enjoy telling the story of modern dairying that emphasizes
cow comfort, quality milk and working in harmony with the land to produce
quality milk and cheeses. For more information about Crave Brothers
Farmstead Cheese, visit www.cravecheese.com.
PADRES Contra El
Cáncer (PADRES), a non-profit organization committed to improving
the quality of life for Latino children with cancer and their
families, named Chicago-based Tampico Beverages the title sponsor of the organization’s annual
El Sueño de Esperanza (Dream of Hope) Gala. “We are so excited
to have Tampico Beverages as the title sponsor of this year’s Tampico
Beverages El Sueño de Esperanza Gala,” says PADRES national
spokesperson Eva Longoria. “Tampico is an iconic Hispanic brand that
has been a part of many of our families’ lives for generations. It is
only fitting that Tampico Beverages is playing a major role in this
wonderful event benefiting the same families who support their
brand.” Held September 6, the Tampico Beverages El Sueño de
Esperanza Gala was the first public event held on the “Desperate
Housewives” Wisteria Lane set at Universal Studios Hollywood.
In addition to honoring individuals and corporations who have
made a significant impact on the lives of children with cancer and their
families, this black-tie fundraiser benefiting PADRES Contra El
Cáncer, featured red carpet arrivals from celebrities and elected
officials, a cocktail reception, a seated dinner, the opportunity to bid on
a variety of live and silent auction items as well as entertainment from a
popular recording artist.
Denmark, Wis.-based BelGioioso Cheese Inc. received
a first place blue ribbon “Best of Class” award for its
Parmesan cheese in the Italian-Style Grating Types Category, and a third
place award for their Fresh Mozzarella cheese in the Italian-Style Fresh
Mozzarella Category at the 2006 American Cheese Society Awards (ACS).
“This is a high honor for everyone at BelGioioso,” says Gianni
Toffolon, BelGioioso master cheesemaker, specializing in parmesan for more
than 25 years. “We are very pleased that our parmesan and fresh
mozzarella cheeses have been recognized with such prestigious awards. Our
entire team of cheesemakers works hard to produce consistent and superior
cheeses and these awards prove that our efforts are appreciated.” The
annual contest positions cheeses from all over the country against each
other to give positive recognition to those cheeses which are of the
highest quality in all aspects — flavor, aroma and texture, as well
as technical evaluation. The highly sought after ACS ribbon is a mark of
cheesemaking excellence.
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