A holiday card to dairy processors
Sit by the Yule log with a fresh glass of eggnog as I rhyme and cheer the events of the year.
December is here. It’s a month of good cheer.
It means we have survived another long year.
These three-sixty-six days (a Leap Day, remember)
Were filled with excitement, some events caused a tremor.
We lived through the election; a “cam-pain” I would say.
Cleaning up after Sandy goes on to this day.
In London, Phelps earned more swimming medals.
Lance was found guilty whilst spinning his pedals.
The news from our industry never stopped coming.
The big story is yogurt, which keeps dairy plants humming.
Yogurt factories are booming, just see New York state.
America’s yen for cultured dairy they must sate.
More cows! More milk!, the farmers do cry.
To keep up with requests, they try and they try.
So many plants, like Fage and Upstate Niagara.
Demand for Greek yogurt is like dairy Viagra
to an industry that had gone slack just a bit.
I’ll leave it at that, and be no more explicit.
(No mention of plant erections, I promise. That’s it.)
Speaking of yogurt, Greek style is the rage.
This magazine wrote stories, page after page.
A company called Ilios did churn it in butter
And processor Yasso froze it so cold we did shudder.
Greek yogurt in dips and dressing and hummus,
We thank the brands that shipped samples to us.
So many new products, I say, verily,
food scientists do not lack creativity.
From Land O Lakes (aka Minnesota, if you never heard)
Comes a flavored butter to aid tyro chefs, I inferred.
Kraft added chocolate to its Philly cream cheese
It’s called Indulgence, and I say, “More, please.”
From far-away lands come new forms of dairy.
We like one from Kaurina’s, a gelato-like kulfi.
And did you ever see a lassi, not too viscous,
Like the cultured drink served up by DAHLicious?
Dairy processors strive to be the best
And many of them passed the test.
IDFA honored three men on the cheese scene
Giving Soaring Eagle trophies to Vanic, Fuhrmann and Gentine.
The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy found
Darigold tops for being green,
Darigold tops for being green,
Oakhurst Dairy won honorable mention,
so it, too, can preen.
so it, too, can preen.
As long as I’m speaking of sustainability,
I’ll give a shout out to others with ability.
Cold-plate technology cools trucks for Clover Stornetta Farms.
This cleaner approach does Mother Earth much less harm.
On the West Coast, Hilmar Cheese is quite eco-aware.
It recovers all water used; that’s how much it does care.
I’ve written of companies. (They are people, said Mitt.)
But let’s turn now to humans, I’ll name some, to wit:
Bruce Tharp and Steve Young, their knowledge is vast.
They wrote an encyclopedia of ice cream. Ain’t that a blast?
Our newest columnist is John Lucey from Madison.
He promotes better cheesemaking, by the slice and the ton.
IDFA’s Connie Tipton leads the good fight against rules
By a squad of food police who must consider us fools.
She’s trying to cut through federal regulations galore
But some in the House and Senate keep writing more.
Vivien Godfrey is milk’s leading acolyte.
The MilkPEP exec aims to take sales to new heights.
She says, “Drink chocolate after paddling a kayak.”
Or serve white milk at breakfast like Selma Hayek.
Jeni B. Bauer churns super-premium ice cream
But twelve bucks a pint is enough to make you scream.
Tasia Malakasis ages Belle Chevre in Alabama.
That’s goat cheese made with milk from a dam-a.
To all the devotees of the dairy industry
My wish is you find a special gift under the tree.
Then turn the calendar to twenty-thirteen.
I’m eager and excited. You could say I am keen
To see what you’ll create, process and sell.
Happy New Year to you, I wish you all well.
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