Dairy Competition
by Sabrina Khaleque Laura Mack, the owner of an independent ice cream parlor called lu•lu Ice Cream in Vergennes, Vermont, won a $200,000 Existing Dairy Processor Expansion Grant from the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NEDBIC) in November. What sets lu•lu apart from other ice cream brands is that they make their ice cream from scratch, starting with raw ingredients rather than using a pre-made base mix. This unique, homemade approach helps lu•lu Ice Cream produce distinctive flavors, like their Basil Ice Cream, which was highlighted on the Food Network’s “50 States, 50 Scoops” feature. “We do make it all a hundred percent from scratch right there,” explained Mack. The store has a glass window showcasing the production process to customers. Visitors can observe the pasteurization, churning, and crafting of the end product, allowing customers to see the care and effort involved in making the ice cream. Born and raised in Vermont by restaurateur parents, Mack grew up with knowledge of food but never envisioned herself owning a food business. lu•lu Ice Cream only came about when Mack’s sister decided to turn her ice-cream making hobby into an actual business. The sisters launched lu•lu in 2014, though Mack was still working in New York City at the time. “I would fly home every weekend to Vermont, make ice cream with [my sister], and then fly back to work my job in the city,” Mack recalled. This intense routine lasted almost a full year before Mack took over as sole owner, moving back to Vermont to run the company. “Ice-cream sort of just fell into my lap, but it was the greatest epiphany to happen in my life,” said Mack. In the decade since establishing lu•lu, Mack has grown the business by winning several grants and competitions. One of her first grant wins was a marketing grant from the NEDBIC. From there, she was able to leverage agricultural grants for goat products to develop a goat milk gelato. After launching the goat milk gelato, Mack met Vermont’s Secretary of Agriculture, Anson Tebbetts. He urged her to enter the 2023 Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition, administered by Cornell’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement (CREA) with a grant from the NEDBIC. Mack won $20,000 as a top 10 finalist in the competition, then secured an additional $55,000 as one of three grand prize winners. “The people at Cornell have been phenomenal,” Mack said. “CREA has been enormously helpful with answering questions. And then, having the opportunity to highlight my business was really remarkable.” A major accomplishment from Mack’s time in the competition was working with mentors to make her goat milk gelato lactose-free, a game-changing improvement to the product. Later in 2023, Mack showcased lu•lu Ice Cream as an exhibitor at the Grow-NY Summit, a $3 million global business competition for top innovations in food, beverages, and agriculture. “It was an amazing experience to be in a room with such intelligent people that are doing incredible things in agriculture,” Mack said. “[It was wonderful] to be able to have a conversation with someone that either understood that doing pasteurization is an extra step that makes [ice cream] really unique and wonderful, to suggestions on great connector pieces that might be helping us build our business.” Mack plans to leverage the connections she made through Grow-NY, the Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition, and the NEDBIC to propel her company and support other local agricultural businesses in Vermont. “We are buying all of our ingredients from local farm partners. So, we are able to take amazing things that are being created around us and [turn it into a sweet treat for everyone],” Mack said. The new funds from the NEDBIC will also help Mack expand and upgrade equipment to take lu•lu Ice Cream to the next level. “We currently are doing everything in 15-gallon batches,” Mack said. “I’m expending a lot of energy that could be saved with better equipment and better space.” lu•lu was one of 35 businesses to win an Existing Dairy Processor Expansion Grant, with a total of $12.2 million awarded to dairy businesses across the region.
By Lauren Simpson Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement (CREA) and Northeast Dairy Foods Research Center (NDFRC) announced that lu.lu Ice Cream, Oakfield Corners Cheese LLC, and Terra Firma Farm have been named winners of the inaugural Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition, an initiative that supports food innovators in launching value-added dairy products made from ingredients produced in the Northeast, following the pitch competition on August 8 at Stocking Hall in Ithaca, N.Y. Funded by a $1 million grant from the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC), each of the three winners receive $55,000 to further develop their product and bring it to market, in addition to ongoing business mentorship and a presence at the Dairy Innovation Showcase at the 2023 Grow-NY Summit on November 14-15, 2023 in Binghamton, N.Y. In its first year, the program attracted over 50 applicants, including those making products on small and organic farms, from across the United States. Ten finalists were selected from the highly competitive pool by a committee of dairy experts, each being provided with $20,000, along with early-stage incubation assistance from Cornell’s food processing and business experts, access to the university’s food processing facilities, industry mentorship, and training on product prototyping. "Congratulations to all of our dairy innovators that made the inaugural Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition such a success,” said Laura Ginsburg, Center Director for the NE-DBIC. “This competition highlights the creativity and energy that dairy entrepreneurs bring to their work, showcasing new ideas and products which build on the strong tradition of dairy that is foundational to the region." Two of the three winners impressed the judges with their unique takes on ice cream. Founded by owner Laura Mack, lu.lu Ice Cream’s goat milk gelato stood out. "Our growth from this program has been enormous, purely from the fact that we had the ability to learn how to make our product fully lactose free,” Mack said. “As opposed to just having good digestibility, we now can express to the consumer that it's lactose free. That would not have happened if we weren't in this program." Brie Casadei, founder and owner of Terra Firma Farm, introduced a new take on the sweet treat with “Your Turn to Churn,” a ready-to-use, premium ice cream base that consumers can make in a matter of minutes. Oakfield Corners Cheese awed the judges with its Mexican-style cheese, which was inspired to bring to market to help provide a taste of home to the Hispanic population. John Chrisman, CEO of the American Dairy Association North East, Sue Miller, award-winning cheesemaker and co-founder of the Birchrun Hills Farm, and Anson Tebbetts, Secretary of Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets served as the competition’s judges and used the following set of criteria to determine the three winners: Dairy product concept and execution Dairy product innovation or improvement Viability of commercialization and business model Use of dairy ingredients Consumer value “Today’s Dairy Innovation Competition showcased how dairy innovators can harness entrepreneurial skills to create and scale value-added products that address today’s consumer preferences while increasing the utilization of dairy ingredients produced in the Northeast,” said CREA’s Director of Food and Ag Startup Programs Jenn Smith. “Congratulations to this year’s entire cohort, who are all helping to strengthen our rural economy and make our regional food system stronger.” From May until early August, finalists received industry mentorship and entrepreneurship coaching that included support with pitch development, technical training, and identifying industry networking and resource opportunities. The following industry experts participated as mentors, playing an integral role in helping finalists maximize their experience and impact on the Northeast dairy industry: Brian Bailey, founding co-owner and creator of Yancey’s Fancy, Inc. Cheeses Marla Buerk, Dairy Management Inc. Tim Cooley, dairy product consultant Steve Funk, Nelson-Jameson Inc. Judy Keenan, Dairy Management Inc. Sheila Marshman, SUNY Morrisville, School of Agriculture, Business & Technology Pulari Nair, Rich Products Corporation Gil Tansman, DSM Jeff Warner, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Esperanza Wingard, HP Hood LLC Tristan Zuber-Hrobuchak, Chr. Hansen The NDFRC was a critical partner in developing the competition program, recruiting industry mentors, and determining necessary resources. “We couldn’t be more thrilled with the progress the Dairy Innovation Competition participants made over the course of the program,” said Dr. Samuel Alcaine, director of the NDFRC and associate professor at Cornell CALS. “This competition sparks more product lines and business opportunities for our region’s dairy farmers, continuing to solidify the Northeast as a leader in the dairy industry.”
By Ananya Gambhiraopet With the business development phase of the Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition underway, the Dairy Innovation Program is proud to spotlight the 10 finalists selected for the inaugural competition. The Northeast has a rich history of producing high quality dairy products with vast growth potential and appeal to both at-home and institutional customers. The Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition supports entrepreneurs in the development of new, value-added products that utilize dairy ingredients produced in the Northeast. The competition saw over 50 applicants from which 10 finalists were selected, each receiving $20K in participant support, as well as individualized mentorship and business development guidance. Meet the 10 competition finalists: Bell & Goose Cheese Co: Based in South Hampton, N.H. , founder Anna Cantelmo spent more than a decade studying artisan cheese making before she started Bell & Goose. Bell & Goose sources its milk from local New Hampshire dairies to make a variety of cheeses, including Mustard Seed Butter Cheese, Hot Pepper Havarti, and its Marinated Feta Cheese, which earned them a spot in the Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition. lu.lu ice cream: Based in Vermont, founder Laura Mack founded lu.lu ice cream in 2014 close to her family’s restaurant. lu.lu’s natural flavorings and locally sourced ingredients are inspired by the farm-to-table style food that Mack grew up with. lu.lu ice cream has intriguing ice cream flavors such as, “Garden Basil” and “Semi-Charmed Kinda Life,” a Lucky Charm cereal milk infused ice cream. lu.lu earned its spot as a competition finalist with a new product: Goat’s Milk Gelato. Maia Yogurt: First created in founder Hamilton Colwell’s Manhattan apartment in 2010, Maia yogurt can now be found in multiple locations in the Northeast. Colwell created Maia with the goal of working with local family-owned farms and improving consumers’ health. Maia is currently sourced, made, and cupped in Pennsylvania, and became a competition finalist with its grass-fed yogurt for kids. Maple Valley Farm: The Shurtleff family has been farming at Maple Valley Farm for five generations, since Levi Shurtleff moved to North Bridgewater, Vt.. Maple Valley Farm is now predominantly a dairy farm with two seasonal farm stands where the Shurtleff’s sell their farm grown maple, pet products, and specialty products like pumpkin and saffron. Maple Valley Farm became a finalist with its saffron maple yogurt. Naturally Golden Family Farms Co-op: Naturally Golden Family Farms Co-op has been run by the Trotter family for four generations. There are two farms under Naturally Golden Family Farms: Maple Bottom and Trotacre, both located in Pennsylvania. The farms use Guernsey milk cows to produce the high-quality milk used for the farms’ value-added products. Naturally Golden Family Farms earned their spot as a finalist with its all natural, dairy-based coffee creamer. North Country Creamery: Owned and operated by Ashlee Kleinhammer in Keeseville, N.Y., North Country Creamery produces and sells farmstead cheeses, cream-line yogurts, and raw milk which are made from their Milking Shorthorn and Jersey Cows. North Country Creamery earned its finalist selection after working with their cheesemaker, Nico Brossar, to craft its semi-hard, pasteurized cheese. Oakfield Corners Cheese LLC: Oakfield Corners Cheese LLC is a division of Lamb Farms, Inc., which was founded in 1966 by the Lamb family in Oakfield, N.Y. Currently, Lamb Farms is owned and operated by the Lamb and Veazey families and maintains over six farm locations. Oakfield Corners Dairy works with some of the best cow families in the Holstein breed and placed as a finalist with its Mexican style cheese. Spekld: Jonah Gershon ‘24, a hotel administration major in the Nolan School of Hotel Administration at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, is the founder of Spekld. Spekld allows consumers to use brown butter instantly, coming in the form of a stick just like conventional butter. Gershon aims to help consumers use brown butter as easily as they would regular butter. Spekld plans to sustainably source the butter and work with small-scale organic farmers. Terra Firma Farm: Brianne Casadei directs Terra Firma Farm, which is based in North Stonington, Conn. Terra Firma Farm is a nonprofit community farm where everyone is welcome to learn the importance of local agriculture and community. Terra Firma Farm became a competition finalist with its ready-to-use, premium ice cream base. Very Good Yogurt: Anu Rangarajan is the co-founder of Very Good Yogurt, serves as the director of the Cornell Small Farms Program, and is a senior extension associate at the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. As the director of the Cornell Small Farms Program, Rangarajan helps farmers get expert assistance to facilitate small farm development. Very Good Yogurt earned a place as a competition finalist with its savory yogurts. These 10 finalists receive mentorship, access to Cornell resources, and time at Cornell’s Food Processing and Development Lab (FPDL). On August 8, the finalists will pitch to a panel of judges who will select up to three winners who will receive an additional $55K in funding and be featured at a Dairy Innovation Showcase at the Grow-NY Summit in November 2023.
By Ananya Gambhiraopet Jonah Gershon ‘24, a hotel administration major in the Nolan School of Hotel Administration at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business and the founder of Spekld, is the lone student finalist among the 10 selected for the inaugural Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition. While making chocolate chip cookies last summer, Gershon realized that he always uses brown butter in his recipes, but that “it’s an extra step that takes 20 or 25 minutes”. This led to the creation of Spekld, a form of brown butter that could be purchased in a stick, similar to traditional butter. Gershon is not new to the food industry and started sharing his cookie baking skills on Instagram, which led him to participate in Food Network’s Christmas Cookie Challenge in 2022. With Spekld, Gershon aims to educate more people about brown butter and help home cooks who want to try new food products. As a finalist for the competition, Gershon won $20,000 in participant support, as well as business incubation services like product prototyping and optimization and food safety and compliance training. Additionally, Gershon will receive individualized mentorship and guidance from experts in the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Food Science Department and SC Johnson College of Business, including access to Cornell’s Food Processing and Development Lab (FPDL). Gershon, along with all 10 finalists, will present Spekld to a committee of judges during a pitch competition on Aug. 8 at Cornell for the chance to win an additional $55,000. Up to three winners will be selected and given the opportunity to be featured at the Dairy Innovation Showcase at the 2023 Grow-NY Summit on November 14-15 in Binghamton, N.Y. Learn more about Jonah Gershon and Spekld. Featured image of Gershon competing on the Food Network's 2022 Christmas Cookie Challenge provided by Food Network.
By Leigh Toerper Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement (CREA) and the Northeast Dairy Foods Research Center (NDFRC) have announced the 10 finalists for the first-ever Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition, an initiative that supports food innovators in launching products made from dairy ingredients produced in the Northeast. Funded by a $1 million grant from the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC), the competition provides finalists early-stage incubation assistance from Cornell’s food processing and business experts, access to the university’s food processing facilities, industry mentorship, and training on product prototyping. Along with these resources, finalists will receive $20,000, up to three winners receiving an additional $55,000, and a presence at the Dairy Innovation Showcase at the 2023 Grow-NY Summit in November. Laura Ginsburg of the NE-DBIC, said, “This initiative responds to a growing need for developing new value-added dairy products, a critical component to increasing milk value for farmers, supporting regional opportunities, and building energy around dairy.” Over 50 food entrepreneurs, including those making products on organic and small farms, applied to the competition from across the United States. A committee of dairy experts representing producers, industry, and research selected the 10 finalists based on product concept, innovation or improvement, viability, prominence of dairy ingredients, and consumer value. The 10 finalists are: Bell & Goose Cheese Co., New Hampshire. Marinated feta cheese. lu•lu ice cream, Vermont. Goat’s milk gelato. Maia Yogurt, Connecticut. Grassfed yogurt for kids. Maple Valley Farm, Vermont. Saffron maple yogurt. North Country Creamery, New York. Semi-hard, pasteurized cheese. Oakfield Corners Cheese LLC, New York. Mexican style cheese. Spekld, Connecticut. Pre-made, brown butter product. Terra Firma Farm, Connecticut. Ready-to-use, premium ice cream base. Naturally Golden Family Farms Co-op, Pennsylvania. All natural, dairy-based coffee creamer. Very Good Yogurt, New York. Sugar-free, savory yogurt. “The Dairy Innovation Competition builds a pipeline of entrepreneurs equipped to create and scale value-added products that address today’s consumer preferences. Growing these businesses is key to increasing the utilization of dairy ingredients produced in the Northeast, and strengthening our rural economy,” said CREA’s Director of Food and Ag Startup Programs Jenn Smith. From May until early August, finalists will receive industry mentorship and entrepreneurship coaching that will include support with pitch development, as well as technical training, and identifying industry networking and resource opportunities. Industry experts who are participating as mentors include: Brian Bailey founding co-owner and creator of Yancey’s Fancy, Inc. Cheeses, Marla Buerk of Dairy Management Inc., Tim Cooley of American Dairy Association North East, Steve Funk of Nelson-Jameson Inc., Judy Keenan of Dairy Management Inc., Sheila Marshman of SUNY Morrisville, School of Agriculture, Business & Technology, Pulari Nair of Rich Products Corporation, Gil Tansman of DSM, Jeff Warner of Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Esperanza Wingard of HP Hood LLC, and Tristan Zuber-Hrobuchak of Chr. Hansen. “We are thrilled with the enthusiastic response to the dairy innovation competition and look forward to working with the 10 finalists by providing access to much needed technical and entrepreneurial resources. This competition positions the Northeast to create more product lines and business opportunities for our region’s dairy farmers,” said Dr. Samuel Alcaine, director of the NDFRC and associate professor at Cornell CALS. The competition culminates on August 8 at Cornell University’s Stocking Hall in Ithaca, New York, where finalists will pitch their products to a committee of judges. Finalists will be evaluated on: Dairy product concept and execution Dairy product innovation and improvement Viability of commercialization and business model Use of dairy ingredients Consumer value The competition’s committee of judges includes John Crishman, CEO of the American Dairy Association North East, Sue Miller, award-winning cheesemaker and co-owner of Birchrun Hills Farm, and Vermont Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets Anson Tebbetts. To learn more about the Northeastern Dairy Product Innovation Competition, visit: www.dairyinnovation.org/product-competition/ To learn more about the Northeast Dairy Foods Research Center, visit: www.cals.cornell.edu/northeast-dairy-foods-research-center To learn more about the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center, visit: www.agriculture.vermont.gov/dbic
