Oser Communications Group

Nebraska farmer David Vetter of Grain Place Foods is often de- scribed by his friends as quiet and humble—a typical low key and unassuming Midwesterner. But as a mentor to others in the organic industry, he has been an inspiring and tireless giant. Selected to receive the Organic Trade Association's 2016 Organic Leadership Award for Growing the Organic Industry, Vetter has unselfishly mentored and shared information about organic to countless numbers of farmers transitioning to organic produc- tion, from Canada to Central America, from Europe to Aus- tralia. "It is our honor to recognize David for his significant contri- by lorriE bAumAnn Steve and Kim Duty's customers at Denver's Cheese + Provisions love the funk, and Owner/ Cheesemonger Steve Duty loves them right back. "Every [Denver] neighborhood seems to have its favorite categories. The neighbor- hood I'm in seems to really love washed rinds and blues, which is a cheesemonger's dream," he said. "Here, the funkier the cheese, the more interested the folks are." "We've had to trim back the Alpine collection because our customers want the funky stuff," added Co-owner Kim. The cou- Cheese + Provisions Purveys the Funk in Denver Continued on PAGE 8 Continued on PAGE 10 Continued on PAGE 13 ple opened their 940 square-foot shop in the Sunnyside neighbor- hood of northwest Denver on De- cember 15, 2015, just in time for the last bit of the winter holiday trade, after construc- tion delays that finally forced them to cram about six weeks of work into the last two and half weeks before opening. They slept in the store a few of those last few nights just to get that extra 15 minutes of sleep, then opened to greet a rush of customers who'd been waiting for a specialty cheese shop to open in their neighborhood. "We opened with a bang and had amazing sales all the way through January, and it put us on a solid financial footing," Kim said. "It was worth it, but I don't necessar- ily recommend it." "We've been really very happy with the reception we've gotten from our neighborhood and from the city at large," she added. The couple, married now for 25 years, took the road less traveled to both their cheese shop and to Denver itself. Steve started work- ing in restaurants right out of high school, then attended the Culinary Institute of America to gain his credentials as a chef. Then he did what young chefs then and now frequently do right after graduation from CIA – he headed for New York to stage. From the New York restaurant scene he made a brief stop in Arkansas to help with a family New Subscription Service Delivers Grass-fed Beef Organic Leadership Award Honors Vetter butions to growing the organic in- dustry through his collaborative leadership and action," says Laura Batcha, CEO and Ex- ecutive Director of the Or- ganic Trade Association (OTA). "We have been rec- ognizing organic leaders who inspire and innovate for 20 years, and David definitely deserves to take his seat among these inspirational honorees." Vetter grew up working on his family's farm in central Nebraska. In the 1950s, his father began questioning the ethics and sci- ence behind emerging agricul- tural practices that were part of the Green Revolution, and the family farm began to adopt or- ganic farming methods. Vetter left the farm and went to college to earn a bachelors degree in agron- omy and soil science and a masters degree in di- vinity. He returned to the farm in 1975 and helped achieve organic certifica- tion. "Taking care of the en- vironment and our natu- ral resources is one of my core values, and something I have al- ways strived to do," says Vetter. "Organic agriculture is an integral part of that mission, and it's been especially fulfilling to help other farmers adopt organic and see or- ganic agricultural practices be- come more common." by lorriE bAumAnn Organic Valley is responding to consumer demand for "cleaner" products and more transparency around production methods with its Grassmilk™ product line of fluid milk, cheese and yogurt. In 2011, Organic Valley was the first national brand to launch a 100 percent grass-fed milk nationwide and trademarked the Grassmilk term. Production of the Grass- milk started in northern Califor- nia in 2012, and distribution Continued on PAGE 10 Organic Valley Grassmilk: Good for People, Good for Cows went national in 2013 after the company ex- panded production to Wisconsin and established na- tional distribution for Grassmilk. Since then, the Grassmilk product line has been ex- panded to include cheese, and the company launched Grassmilk Yo- gurt in plain and vanilla flavors. Single-serve Grassmilk yogurt cups launched this fall at Natural Products Expo in Baltimore. The line has been embraced by the market- place, said Cate H o l l o w i t s c h , Community En- gagement Man- ager for Organic Valley. "There's been an increase in requests for by lorriE bAumAnn Plaid Cow Society is a new sub- scription service, launched in late September, that delivers fresh grass-fed beef to customers in eight western states. In October, the service will expand to offer nationwide deliveries. Founder and CEO Travis Scarpace says that the idea behind Plaid Cow Society was born with a high school friend who now owns a CrossFit gym, who told him that his clients were looking for better sources for the grass-fed and finished, hormone-free and antibiotic free meat protein that they needed to support a Paleo lifestyle. "You might be onto something. Let me get back to you," Scarpace, a veteran of the meat industry, told him. That was about a year and a half ago, and the result is now rolling out. Plaid Cow Society, based in Pasadena, California, is working with West Coast ranchers to en- sure a supply of beef that's lived on grass for its entire life. No an- tibiotics or hormones are given to the animals to encourage them to grow faster or to develop more muscle mass, and they're fed no corn at all. "We try to treat our animals with the most dignity volumE 81, numbEr 10 oCTobEr 2016 n $7.00 NEWS & NOTES n Schuman Cheese and Friends Raise Money for St. Jude PAGE 6 RETAILER NEWS n TASTE to Relocate Corporate Headquarters PAGE 12 SUPPLIER NEWS n Prize-Winning Pacific Pickle Works Expands Production PAGE 14 SUPPLEMENT n Pasta, Grains & Sauces PAGE 17 HOT PRODUCTS PAGE 24 News ..............................................6 Ad Index .......................................23 Calendar.......................................23 www.gourmetnews.com G OURMET N EWS T H E B U S I N E S S N E W S P A P E R F O R T H E G O U R M E T I N D U S T R Y ® NATURALLY HEALTHY: Among Friends SEE PAGE 16 SUPPLEMENT: Pasta, Grains & Sauces SEE PAGE 17 HOT PRODUCTS: LorAnn Oils SEE PAGE 24

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