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GOURMET NEWS www.gourmetnews.com n JUNE 2017 n GOURMET NEWS 1 3 2 Montchevre Announces Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Certificate Program Montchevre announces a new certificate pro- gram at Southwest Wisconsin Technical Col- lege to ensure dairy goat producers are educated on providing high-quality milk for the goat cheese industry as well as farm sus- tainability. The $100,000 donation from Montchevre supports the instructional costs for the 11 online courses, five mentorship courses and the two-day hands-on Dairy Goat Academy in addition to marketing and coordination costs. "Montchevre is thrilled to support the Dairy Goat Herd Management Program at SWTC," said Arnaud Solandt, co-Founder of Montchevre. "The goat cheese industry is growing rapidly within the U.S., increasing the demand for quality farmers. We are more than happy to sponsor a program with values that coincide with ours and that provides farmers with tools to produce the highest quality milk while maintaining their sustain- ability. This is an exciting time in our indus- try and we truly believe that this program will benefit goat milk production as a whole." Family owned and operated, Montchevre has been producing goat cheese since 1989 and has continued to pioneer the industry, growing its network of goat milk suppliers to 400-plus independent family owned farms. "Having Montchevre as a leadership part- ner on this project will accelerate our ability to begin marketing and offering courses in 2017," said Derek Dachelet, Dean of Indus- try, Trades and Agriculture at Southwest Tech. "We are very thankful for Montchevre's generous gift to kick off the program." The Dairy Goat Herd Management Cer- tificate will focus on the production, finan- cial and management skills of a dairy goat operation. The academies will pro- vide hands-on training and a men- torship program will focus on kid- ding, breeding, milking and general chores. The first set of classes will open to the public on May 10, 2017 and will include Introduction to the Dairy Goat Industry, Writing a Business Plan for Your Dairy Goat Operation and Farm Records and Financial Management. Clare Heberlein, coordinator of the pro- gram, said, "Montchevre has been involved with the development of the dairy goat cur- riculum since the beginning of the project. They continue to be a driving force for this industry initiative and we are grateful that the company has decided to invest in our program." For more information on the program and how to register, contact SWTC at 608.822.2741 or www.swtc.edu/dairygoat. Visit www.montchevre.com to learn about Montchevre's mission, its network of family farms and product line. About Montchevre Founded in 1989 by Arnaud Solandt and Jean Rossard, Montchevre began as a small operation in a 4,000 square- foot former cheddar plant in Preston, Wisconsin. More than 25 years later, Montchevre is a leading goat cheese producer in the United States. Remaining true to its original core principles, Montchevre places emphasis on high-quality, wholesome prod- ucts and production of outstanding goat cheese at the very best value. Producing more than 50 variations of goat cheese, thanks to the supply of milk from 400-plus local family farms, Montchevre is con- scious of ethics and best practice, purposely protecting farmers' livelihoods and striving to provide a safe and pleasant work envi- ronment for all employees. The Montchevre product line includes a large variety of tra- ditional goat cheese, aged specialty goat cheese and seasonally inspired goat cheese available nationwide. Visit Montchevre at booth #170. For more in- formation, go to www.montchevre.com. Bellucci On-the-Go EVOO: The Great Flavor of Fresh With Bellucci's single-serving On-the-Go EVOO squeeze packs, the great flavor of fresh 100 percent Italian extra virgin olive oil is making a splash, one delicious drizzle at a time. Consumers of olive oil will appreciate the convenience of having award-winning 100 percent Italian EVOO by the single serving, especially when they can pop it straight out of a purse, backpack or desk drawer. On-the-Go EVOO gives office and school lunches, picnics and campfire cooking the opportunity for a healthy boost of flavor, and even meals out on the town can get an up- grade. Salads and sandwiches no longer need be doused in inferior dressings made of myr- iad non-nutritional ingredients, when a sim- ple, delicious drizzle of extra virgin olive oil is all they need. Meals for people leading ac- tive, health-conscious lifestyles just got infi- nitely easier to make, and EVOO lovers can indulge themselves outside home kitchens without lugging a full bottle, when nuanced flavor on the fly is what they seek. Available in both 100% Or- ganic Italian and 100% Classic Italian, Bellucci On-the-Go EVOO is milled cooperatively from olives grown on small family groves in rural Italy. Both blends have received awards at international tasting competitions. The company's commitment to freshness and traditional cultivation and milling practices ensures a robust flavor pro- file, and the single-serving packs maintain the EVOO at its flavorful and nutritional best. All Bellucci EVOO, including On-the-Go squeeze packs, is fully traceable to its origin in the Italian countryside using the Bellucci App. The perfect drizzle to bring a ray of sunshine to any meal, Bellucci On- the-Go EVOO brings more pleasure and tasti- ness to food as far flung as the great out- doors. For more information, go to www.bellucci premium.com or stop by booth #2758. Abdallah Candies' New Caramel Creations Satisfies the Rise in Category Popularity Abdallah Candies, a Minnesota-based candy company, has introduced new varieties to its highly popular "Old Fashioned Caramels" category. Known particularly for the pre- mium caramel, Abdallah Candies' individu- ally twist-wrapped butter caramel morsels now have companions that are every bit as mouthwatering. New flavors such as choco- late-vanilla-sea-salt-twist, roasted-almond- coconut and toffee-almond caramel now accompany the best-selling plain butter caramels. Available packaged in 7 ounce bags or in bulk, the new varieties extend the line with unique flavor combinations that perfectly complement the ultra-soft creamy caramel the company is fa- mous for. For those who manufacture and desire the famous caramel flavor and want a caramel that is soft, creamy and won't flow off their product, 12 pound blocks are available. Abdallah Candies is a fourth generation, Minnesota family-owned gourmet confec- tioner which manufactures more than 200 varieties of specialty chocolates, including 24 flavors and two sizes of fresh cream truffles, ten- der toffees, caramels, stemmed cherries, fruits, clusters, creams, nougats and sugar free choco- lates. Products are available packaged for everyday and sea- sonal sales and are also available in bulk. For more information, visit booth #2453, go to www.abdallahcandies.com or call 800.348.7325. Looking for Low Sugar Chocolate? Keep it Natural For many consumers, the joy of chocolate is inhibited by the anxiety of high sugar and calories. While some confectioners respond with artificial sweeteners or other gimmicks, CocoaPlanet takes an approach that is all nat- ural. Chocolates made with artificial sweeten- ers like sorbitol just don't taste right, and aren't an option if you prefer all natural in- gredients. Even natural sugar alternatives like stevia come up short. CocoaPlanet has invented and patented a natural way to reduce the sugar in its flavor- filled chocolates without sacrificing taste. In- stead of a large center of sugary filling, Co- coaPlanet places small drops of filling throughout its all-natural chocolate disc. With each bite, these "pearls" of flavor com- plement the rich, dark chocolate (64 percent cacao) in a subtly different blend. The result is prize-winning flavor. Cocoa- Planet has been honored with two sofi™ awards from the Specialty Food Association, recognizing the best in specialty foods. But the difference isn't just on the palate. Distributing pearls of flavor throughout the chocolate allows each one to be only 15 per- cent flavored filling, compared with 60 to 80 percent filling in the sugary "center" of tradi- tional filled chocolates. That enables each sin- gle-serving CocoaPlanet chocolate to have less than 100 calories, only 8 grams of sugar or less, and net carbs of 9 grams or less. CocoaPlanet offers five beautiful flavors to choose from for that afternoon snack or after dinner dessert: Salted Caramel, Deep Dark Truffle, Vanilla Espresso, Mandarin Orange and CocoaMint™. Made with all natural ingredients, they are also Fair Trade certified, non-GMO, gluten free, three are vegan and all make a great hot chocolate (just steam milk, drop in and stir and in 10 seconds you have a terrific hot chocolate!). About CocoaPlanet Based in Sonoma, Califor- nia, CocoaPlanet, Inc. uses ethically sourced choco- late produced using sus- tainable practices, enabling cocoa farmers a better quality of life. CocoaPlanet is a registered trademark and "CocoaMint," "Pearls of Flavor" and "More Taste, Less Sugar" are trademarks of CocoaPlanet, Inc. Visit CocoaPlanet at booth #5015. For more information, go to www.cocoaplanet.com, call 707.721.1275 or email info@cocoa planet.com.

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