December 30, 2004
Our CE'Yo joins a business debate
A recent book, What Matters Most, takes a look at "socially responsible" businesses such as Seventh Generation, a manufacturer of environmentally friendly household products based in Burlington, Vermont. In the November issue of Inc. Magazine, Stonyfield's CE'Yo Gary Hirshberg jumps into an on-going debate about making money and the role businesses can and should play in doing good in the world.
Hirshberg takes up a thread of an ongoing discussion about whether or not one can be a big company and still be socially responsible.
"If you sincerely want the world to be a better place, and you believe business is a way to get there, then it's pure academic nonsense to set some arbitrary size limit above which you cannot be a responsible company," says Gary Hirshberg, who founded the organic yogurt maker Stonyfield Farm in Londonderry, N.H., in 1983.
Go here to read the entire Inc. Magazine article.
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December 29, 2004
A little whipped cream with your yogurt?
A bit of a winter storm this week left our trademark yogurt cup, at our Visitor's Center here in Londonderry, New Hampshire, looking a bit like someone had added a dollup of whipped cream! Hmmm...that sounds like a good idea to us!
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December 28, 2004
Hybrid car incentives the latest in employee benefits
Last week we told you how a California-based software company decided to give its employees a $5,000 incentive toward buying a gas-electric hybrid car. This week Timberland, Co., a New Hampshire-based maker of hiking boots, announced a $3,000 incentive for its 6,000 employees. Hybrid vehicles are currently manufactured by Honda, Toyota and Ford and they have the potential to obtain 50 miles per gallon or more. The IRS also gives a tax break to those who drive hybrids.
"We want to make this as attractive as possible to our employees because we want to make a significant difference in the amount of carbon dioxide produced when our employees drive," said Terry Kellogg, who oversees Timberland's environmental programs.
Would you consider buying a hybrid car in the near future? Fill out our survey below.
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December 27, 2004
One of our missions--take care of the planet
Here's a fun fact to know and tell: for every 10 pounds of yogurt and other products we produce here at Stonyfield Farm, we use 1 pound of packaging, which is, in our opinion, a really good, low rate. Packaging includes cardboard, plastic and paper, and it's something we keep track of pretty diligently here. According to our Natural Resources person, Lisa, this rate represents a 3 percent improvement in cutting down our packaging materials over last year.
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December 21, 2004
Yale students going organic
The students at Yale are wrapping up another semester of having an organic dining hall on campus. Apparently the place is a big hit. Much of what appears on in the organic menu comes from crops grown right near New Haven, CT, which is good for the local economy as well. Student Shannon-DiPietro says, "It's that connection of supporting local economy both farmers and other small producers." Ultimately, the school would like to have all the dining halls on campus "go organic."
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December 20, 2004
Organic food-buying grows by leaps and bounds
According to the 2004 Whole Foods Market Organic Foods Trend survey, 27 percent of Americans are eating more organic products than they did just one year ago. More than half of Americans (54 percent) have tried organic foods and beverages, and nearly one in 10 use organic products regularly or several times per week. These are significant changes and due, in part, to the implementation of national organic standards 2 years ago now. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) implemented the National Organic Standards and mandated clearer labeling of organic products. More than half of survey respondents said they thought organic foods were better for the environment (58 percent) and 54 percent said they thought it was better for their health.
The most common category of organic food purchases is produce, with 68 percent saying they choose organic fruits and vegetables. Read the full report here, then check our what we have to say about organic food.
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December 17, 2004
We let yogurt-eaters tell us what to do
More than 165,000 votes were cast as part of Stonyfield Farm’s first ‘Bid with Your Lid’ promotion. Consumers voted for one of three environmental groups to receive funds from a total $100,000 earmarked for them through our Profits for the Planet program.
The National Wildlife Federation received 88,327 votes, with Beyond Pesticides and the American Hiking Society virtually tied for second with 38,682 and 38,658 votes, respectively.
Stonyfield Farm will donate $20,000 to each group, with the remaining $40,000 distributed based on the voting results.
To date, the Profits for the Planet program has distributed approximately $2.6 million to efforts that help protect and restore the Earth.
Our CE'Yo, Gary Hirshberg, was thrilled with the response from yogurt lovers: “Many thanks to those who cast their votes, and we encourage them to remain connected to these efforts, by taking the further step of becoming actively involved in environmental preservation and protection efforts.”
Special lids appeared on our yogurts during July and August, asking consumers to "bid with their lids." They could log onto Stonyfield.com and enter one vote, or collect the limited edition lids and mail them to Stonyfield Farm. Ten lids equaled 10 votes, 20 lids were 20 votes, and so on. Here are the full results:
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December 16, 2004
Scottish clan stops by for a visit to the Yogurt Works
Back in September, the Clan McKinzie, or at least the part of it residing in Connecticut, stopped by our Yogurt Works Visitor's Center to take the tour and watch yogurt being made. The family was on its way to an annual event near Stonyfield Farm, the Highland Scottish Games, and oldest child Whitney was kind enough to send us back a photo of them at our place. (Our Tour Guide, Diane, stands in the middle of the tam-clad clan.) We welcome any and all visitors to our Visitor Center--they don't have to be Scottish!
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December 15, 2004
Company gives its employees incentive to buy gas-saving hybrids
An environmentally-minded California software firm says it will give $5,000 to every one of its 1,500 U.S. workers who buys a gas-electric hybrid vehicle rated 45 miles per gallon or more in highway driving. The idea comes from Godfrey Sullivan, CEO of business-software company Hyperion, based in Santa Clara, Calif. Sullivan, an equestrian who participates in endurance rides, says, "I was in the middle of a 100-mile horse race when I dreamed this crazy idea up. It just seemed like a good idea. You can come up with a lot of creative ideas on the back of a horse for 15 hours."
He says he's budgeted $1 million a year for at least the next several years for the incentive program. With gas prices averaging about $2 a gallon, buyers are looking for vehicles acheiving more than the 27-mpg average of all gasoline-power vehicles. The federal government offers a $2,000 federal tax deduction this year to buyers of hybrids. Our lids are off to CEO Sullivan for this innovative idea!
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December 02, 2004
Shake it up, baby! Now! Our smoothie bottles make music
Stonyfield Farm is not in the business of making milk shakes, but suddenly we are making Milk Shake Music. Apparently our Smoothie bottles make excellent shakers with which to make music--just add rice, glue the cap on, and shake! Lisa of Milk Shake Music ("a potpourri of activity songs, upbeat inspirational rock songs and lullabies") contacted us recently about getting her hands on some empty clean bottles for their kid concerts. She was having trouble keeping up with the demand.
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