Michigan says “Cheese” – Meet the Michigan Cheesemakers Cooperative
Ready for my closeup by farlane
In MSU helps form Michigan cheese cooperative, Farm & Dairy reports on the newly formed Michigan Cheese Makers Cooperative. Members plan to work together to market their cheese, leverage their buying power and cooperate to further the art of cheese making in Michigan. The cooperative is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Cooperative Development and was brought together by the Michigan State University Product Center for Agricultural and Natural Resources. Product Center Director Chris Peterson says that cooperation is critical for small food producers:
“Each of the members has a unique product,†Peterson said. “And that’s a wonderful thing. However, having your own unique product maximizes the workload when it comes to marketing, and it’s difficult for one producer to develop a portfolio of products. By marketing these together, members now have a portfolio of products which make them much more attractive as a grocery supplier.â€
The initial 11 members are:
- Cowslip Creamery
- Dancing Goat Creamery
- Evergreen Lane Farm and Creamery
- Four Corners Creamery
- Grassfields Cheese
- Greenbush Farms
- Greystone Farm and Creamery
- Leelanau Cheese Company
- Mattawan Artisan Creamery
- MSU Dairy
- Zingerman’s Creamery
Say YES to Michigan Cheese!!
