Food Alliance Certified Butter Rated Best in the Nation

PastureLand wins top honors at American Cheese Society Annual Competition for the second year in a row.

Louisville, KY (July 25, 2005): A panel of distinguished judges awarded first place to PastureLand’s Summer Gold salted butter in the prestigious annual American Cheese Society Competition. In addition, PastureLand’s Summer Gold unsalted butter placed third in its category. Complete competition results are available on the American Cheese Society’s web site at www.cheesesociety.org.

PastureLand, a cooperative of three organically certified family farms in Southeastern Minnesota, has been marketing artisan butter and cheese since 2000. The butter’s distinctive flavor and color reflect the quality of the cream from which it is made. On each PastureLand farm, cows graze carefully-managed pastures and are not confined to barns or feedlots. These pastures are rich in carotene resulting in golden yellow milk from the cows, which is perfectly suited for butter making.

“We think this award underscores the work that we do on our farms each day,” said PastureLand member and Board President, Dan French. French and his wife Muriel milk 140 cows on their third-generation family farm near Mantorville, MN. “The attention that we give our cows and the way we work with nature comes through in the flavor of our butter and cheese. We are also lucky to have such a skilled butter maker.” PastureLand’s butter is made by Gene Kruckeberg at the Hope Creamery in Hope, MN.

Each of PastureLand’s farms is inspected and certified by Midwest Organic Services Association (www.mosaorganic.org) and Food Alliance, (www.foodalliance.org) a third-party certification program that evaluates farms on a comprehensive range of environmental indicators.

PastureLand products are available at Twin Cities Natural Foods Cooperatives, Kowalski’s Markets, Whole Foods Market Saint Paul, the Saint Paul Farmers Market, a number of fine restaurants in the Twin Cities, and stores throughout Southern Minnesota. For more information about PastureLand, photos of our farms and farmers, and a complete list of retailers, please visit http://www.pastureland.coop.

Contact:
Jean Andreasen, PastureLand
612-331-9115
jean@pastureland.coop
http://www.pastureland.coop/