Nov. 18 2022 01:30 PM

Inaugural campaign benefits Hunger Free Vermont

The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.

Cabot Creamery Co-operative is proud to launch its inaugural Cheddar For Better campaign with the sale of a limited-release cheddar in honor of U.S. Senator Patrick J. Leahy, available exclusively online and at the Cabot Farmers’ Store in Waterbury Center, Vermont. Proceeds from the sale will benefit Hunger Free Vermont, an essential statewide non-profit that aligns with Cabot’s commitment to nourish communities, foster cooperative relationships, and steward the land.

The limited-release two-pound cheddar bar retails for $13.99 and can only be purchased online at CabotCreamery.com or at the Cabot Farmers’ Store located at 2657 Waterbury-Stowe Road, Waterbury Center, Vermont. The Cheddar For Better program will be an ongoing initiative, with each new offering benefitting a different non-profit organization.

“We believe businesses can be a force for good, and in celebration of our tenth anniversary as a certified B Corp we are excited to launch Cheddar For Better, a program that embodies the wholesome goodness of our cheddar,” said Dave Lynn, Cabot’s interim CEO. “As a farmer-owned cooperative, feeding people is at the core of what we do and why we exist. It is very fitting that Hunger Free Vermont is the first non-profit to benefit from our inaugural Cheddar For Better release. The program will be ongoing and with each limited-release cheddar we will benefit a different non-profit organization,” added Lynn.

The specially wrapped limited-batch cheddar is being produced in honor of U.S. Senator Patrick J. Leahy’s (D-VT) retirement. The packaging is marked “Crafted In Honor of Senator Patrick Leahy” in tribute to the 82-year-old Democrat who was elected in 1974 and is the longest serving member of the U.S. Senate.

“I was deeply honored to have Cabot make a Cheddar for Better named for me and donate the proceeds to Hunger Free Vermont, bringing together two things I have fought for throughout my time in the Senate: ending hunger and promoting Vermont’s dairy farmers and products,” said Senator Leahy. “Marcelle and I both thank Cabot and Agri-Mark for this honor. As always, we encourage everyone to look for Vermont dairy products. They are the best in the world.”

“Senator Leahy has been a champion of rural communities, food justice and agriculture throughout the United States and Vermont for decades. As we look back on his legacy as a senator and Vermonter, we show our gratitude for his impact on our brave little state by donating to one of his favorite non-profits, Hunger Free Vermont,” remarked Lynn.

Hunger Free Vermont is working to end the injustice of hunger and malnutrition for all Vermonters. The non-profit uses every dollar they receive to move Vermont closer to a permanently hunger-free future for us all. As a B Corp and Co-op of farmers dedicated to feeding people, Cabot is proud to donate proceeds from this Cheddar for Better cheese to support their mission.

“Hunger Free Vermont is so proud to have been chosen as the first partner of Cabot Creamery’s ‘Cheddar for Better’ Campaign honoring Senator Leahy’s years of service to Vermonters,” said Anore Horton, executive director of Hunger Free Vermont. “As Senator Leahy, the farmers who comprise the Cabot Creamery Cooperative, and everyone working to end the injustice of hunger and malnutrition know, food is power. The proceeds raised through the ‘Cheddar for Better’ Campaign power our work, so that healthy, local food brings nourishment and joy to all in Vermont.”