Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt, Boulder, Colo., announced a new direct-to-consumer option, https://yasso.com/shop, allowing shoppers the added convenience of delivery straight to their doors. Consumers may choose from Yasso’s best-selling variety packs or build their own delivery selection from a variety of flavors frozen Greek yogurt novelties. Yasso said its shipping process uses a biodegradable insulated container with enough dry ice to keep the products frozen during transit and through delivery.

Edwardsville, Ill.-based Prairie Farms Dairy said it and its joint venture partner, Springfield, Mo.-based Hiland Dairy, took home multiple awards for production excellence, collaboration and quality during the 2020 QCS Leadership Conference held virtually on Oct. 13-15.

Hiland Dairy's Little Rock, Ark., plant is this year's winner of the conference's top award, the Quality Chekd Irving B. Weber Award for Quality Excellence. The Irving B. Weber Award is modeled after the Association for Manufacturing Excellence Award and represents the highest honor for overall quality throughout the Quality Chekd organization. Finalists are judged based on effective implementation of quality in all areas, from processes and products to customer service and satisfaction at a single plant location, Prairie Farms said.

Hiland Little Rock is also this year's Production Excellence Award winner in the Fluid Milk category, the company noted, with Prairie Farms' Olney, Ill., plant placing as one of the finalists. Prairie Farms' Jefferson City, Mo., plant is this year's winner in the Cultured Products Category, with Prairie Farms Quincy, Ill., plant as a finalist.

Prairie Farms Dairy and Swan Packaging Inc., meanwhile, won the QCS Collaboration Award for their work on the successful introduction of Prairie Farms pouch sour cream. This award honors initiatives that deliver excellence through the joint efforts of a member and supply partner working together to either solve a problem or achieve the desired outcome, Prairie Farms said. The award criteria can include new packaging innovation, new product launch, cost savings, regulatory compliance, supply chain efficiency/effectiveness, operational improvement, process improvement, etc.

Wells Enterprises Inc., Le Mars, Iowa, said Nielsen’s 2020 U.S. BASES named the company’s Blue Bunny Load’d Sundaes as one of the “Top 25 Breakthrough Innovations of the Year” for its success in driving sales and frozen dessert category growth. It was the only item from the freezer aisle amongst this year’s winners, the company noted.

In September, Tillamook County Creamery Association said it would contribute 10% of Tillamook product sales during the month to help financially struggling farmers as part of its “All For Farmers” initiative. On Oct. 12, on National Farmer's Day, the Tillamook, Ore.-based cooperative made good on its pledge.

Tillamook said it is contributing $1.6 million to American Farmland Trust (AFT) – a national not-for-profit organization with a mission to protect farmland, promote sound farming practices and keep farmers on the land. AFT will use the Tillamook funds to provide grants directly to farmers to help them access farmland, enhance farm viability, and/or adopt new farming practices.

Through an exclusive partnership, Philadelphia-based La Colombe Coffee Roasters said Molson Coors Beverage Co. will begin distributing La Colombe’s ready-to-drink coffee products in the drug and convenience channels via its vast distribution network in 2021. La Colombe and Molson Coors plan to fully transition distribution for all channels to the Molson Coors network over time.

Dairy MAX, a Grand Prairie, Texas-headquartered regional dairy council, said it launched a refreshed “Our Land, Our Cows, Our Passion” campaign. Throughout the last 12 years, Dairy MAX has used the platform to connect consumers with the local dairy farm families behind nutritious dairy foods, and now will look to helping people in the eight-state region see dairy in a new way. The campaign will focus on families’ interest in getting back to the basics of real food, real people and real experiences.

“The desire for consumers to know where their food comes from is always top of mind, but so is the need for dairy farmers to share their passion and be heard locally,” said Marty McKinzie, vice president of industry image and relations for Dairy MAX. “We are excited to launch a revamped campaign to remain relevant and continue making dairy farmers the hero.”

NSF International, an Ann Arbor, Mich.-based public health organization, announced the hiring of John Rowley as vice president, Global Food Division, and Angelo Petrillo as vice president, business development.

Rowley will oversee NSF International’s suite of food safety, quality and product certification services, while Petrillo will lead the global sales team, supporting thousands of customers and expanding opportunities across NSF’s businesses worldwide. Together they bring nearly 50 years of international experience growing businesses and navigating complex organizational structures and challenging business climates, NSF International said.

The Flexible Packaging Association, Annapolis, Md., announced the official launch of its new website, www.flexpackvoice.com. The site is a new online platform where readers may access all of the FlexPack VOICE stories, plus exclusive digital-only content

Rabobank, a global financial services company, said it appointed veteran food and agribusiness research analyst and economist Roland Fumasi to lead its RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness team in North America. In the six years, Fumasi has been a senior RaboResearch analyst with the organization, and he has gained recognition regionally and globally for his sector outlooks and industry presentations.

Spartech, a St. Louis-based manufacturer of engineered thermoplastics and custom packaging solutions, said it promoted John Inks to CEO. Inks previously served as chief operating officer for Spartech.

Krohne, a Beverly, Mass.-based manufacturer and supplier of solutions in industrial process instrumentation, announced that Chris English was hired as the company’s new vice president of sales for the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. English has worked for several of the top companies in the process control instrumentation market over his 27 years in the industry, and has experience with process control and automation in nearly all sectors of the market.

Multi-Conveyor LLC, Winneconne, Wis., said it was presented with the Acuity Safety Award for businesses that exemplify the partnership with Acuity that helps ensure a safe work place. The plaque was presented by Chad Kaster, loss control representative for the insurance company, to Joe Miller, chief operating officer, Multi-Conveyor.

Milk Moovement, a dairy supply chain management company headquartered in Halifax, Canada, said it opened its first office stateside in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., to tap into the lucrative Midwestern dairy industry.