Get Adobe Flash player

Dairy

Yoplait, Box Tops for Education Renovate School Library

This back-to-school season, Yoplait and Box Tops for Education are giving back to local communities and are committed to empowering women who make schools a special place for students by donating a library renovation to the Dolores Huerta Elementary School in Lennox, Calif.

Yoplait and Box Tops for Education identified the school through the hard work of Principal Maria Castellanos, who is dedicated to ensuring that all students at the school have an opportunity to thrive, even through the challenges of online learning during the pandemic which caused many students to fall behind on reading. In close collaboration with the teachers and staff, including the school’s librarian, Megan Gomez-Green, Castellanos has provided her students with valuable learning habits.

“Our library is the heart of the school. The kids are excited, they want to find the right book, and they want to learn about different topics through reading. I’m excited that with this makeover, the kids will have access to a space that fosters the creativity and development that comes with reading,” said Castellanos. “As a woman myself, I want to make sure that I recognize the importance of being a Latina female leader in this world. I hope that the little girls can see a Latina principal and say, ‘she grew up on a similar street, in a similar home, and look where she’s at.’ ”

Yoplait and Box Tops for Education’s library makeover is providing Dolores Huerta Elementary School with a unique and colorful new space including a new amphitheater, reading corner and donated books from the librarian’s wish list—many of which are in Spanish and/or showcase the importance of diversity and representation, such as “Crónicas Apestosas by Martin Pinol and When Rosa Parks Went Fishing by Rachel Ruiz.

“Yoplait is committed to celebrating and empowering the women that set up the future generations for success, and we also believe that investing in a child’s education with the tools they need is foundational,” shared Rachel Letsche, General Mills brand experience assistant manager. “Our partnership with Box Tops for Education is the perfect opportunity to help schools and communities get the necessary resources to grow and excel.”

Yoplait wants to encourage consumers to give back to their local communities through Box Tops for Education by giving shoppers an easy way to earn cash for schools with products they already buy. By using the Box Tops app, consumers can scan a store receipt that includes Box Tops participating Yoplait products and earn cash for a school of their choice. Through this, you can support a local school in need and champion learning and development for the children of your area who need it most.

For updates on the specialty food idustry, subscribe to Gourmet News.

Schuman Cheese Names Snyder CEO

Schuman Cheese has named Steve K. Snyder CEO, with third-generation leader Neal Schuman moving from CEO to chairman of the board.

“We are excited to welcome Steve to the Schuman Cheese family and plan to work closely to build on the company’s successes while staying true to the core values that have guided us these last 75 years,” said Schuman. “Steve brings us a fresh vision for the company’s continued success and expansion trajectory. I am confident that his experienced leadership, know-how, and clear strategic perspective will be pivotal to our next phase of growth.”

Snyder has recently led companies in the cheese, food and other industries to create and implement growth strategies, develop leadership talent and drive business and organizational development.

“It is with great pride and excitement that I join Neal and his talented fourth-generation children, Allison, Ian, and Keith, along with the entire Schuman Cheese team to continue the legacy of world-class, award-winning cheese solutions,” Snyder said. “The company’s history of caring for its employees and the communities in which it operates is inspirational. It’s that dedication to our team and our customers to operate with integrity and innovative spirit that will remain a guiding light in this next chapter of growth.’  said Snyder.

Snyder carries with him a leadership background in start-up, middle market and large company settings across food, nutrition, pharma, food safety, biotechnology, agrulture and specialty chemicals.

His most recent, full-time role was president and CEO of Whitehall Specialties Inc., a Wisconsin-based processed and plant-based cheese manufacturer, where he created and launched the NewFields plant-based cheese division.  He served as president and COO of the publicly traded food and animal safety company Neogen and spent 13 years at Cargill, the large multinational, family-owned food and agricultural products company, where he and his team launched Truvia natural sweetener and other nutritional and sustainable products.

Snyder has also held various roles at Monsanto Company and a number of boards of directors’ positions in the food, agriculture, biotech, software and health areas.

Snyder joins Schuman Cheese amid continued category leadership with some of the industry’s largest retailers and recognition across both domestic and imported cheeses, including that of flagship brand Cello, which recently celebrated a sweep in the Parmesan category at the 2022 World Cheese Contest.  The company is also rapidly expanding in growing food categories with innovative brands such as plant-based Vevan Foods and dessert brand, Delve chocolate truffles.

In October, Gourmet News publishes its annual Fall Cheese Guide. To advertise, email sales@oser.com.

Oregon Cheeses Score Record 24 Awards at American Cheese Society Conference

The nation’s specialty food industry descended on Portland last week at the American Cheese Society’s 2022 annual conference, its first in-person event since 2019. Oregon food and beverage makers were featured in pre-conference tours, educational and tasting seminars, and at a Best of Oregon celebration hosted by the Oregon Cheese Guild during this four day conference for over 1,000 industry professionals.

At the Annual Cheese Competition, Oregon artisan, farmstead, and specialty cheesemakers took home blue ribbons in 10 categories and Oregon cheeses landed a clean sweep in the 2-4 Year Aged Cheddar category. The awards were announced July 21 at the ACS’s 39th Annual Conference. Tillamook received seven awards, Face Rock Creamery nabbed five, and Briar Rose Creamery scored four coveted medals, including three golds. There were 1,387 entries representing 196 creameries from North and South America in this year’s competition, the nation’s largest. The full list of Oregon’s awards is on page two.

Oregon cheeses and local specialty food and beverage were on display all week to buyers from around the world, showcased in seminars such as “An Agricultural Tour from the Oregon Trail to Modern Day,” “A Distinctive Fermentation Community: Oregon’s National Leadership,” “Portlanders’ Cultural Diversity in Food” and “What Grows Together Goes Together: Oregon’s Dynamic Geological History and Terroir;” during the Cheese Crawl at local establishments and in events and receptions such as those hosted by marquee sponsor Tillamook and the Oregon Cheese Guild.

The public will be able to taste this year’s winners from Oregon and beyond at Portland’s celebration of cheese and all things that go with it, The Wedge, Sept. 24 at Alder Block. Other opportunities to taste competition winners and other delicious Oregon cheeses are at our retail partners statewide during Oregon Cheese Month in September, at the Oregon Cheese Festival in Central Point and at creameries around the state on the Oregon Cheese & Food Trail.

Read more in the Gourmet News‘s Fall Cheese Guide. To advertise, email sales@oser.com.