Have you tried an American Legends pizza yet from Domino’s? The pizza, which uses 40% more cheese, is one reason why Domino’s was able to report a profit for 2009, and is good news for dairy farmers.
The improving sales prospects for Domino’s Pizza, Inc., could help deliver a boost for slumping cheese prices. Domino’s, which owns or franchises more than 4,900 U.S. locations, projects domestic same-store sales to increase 1 percent to 3 percent this year from last year, the company said in its fourth-quarter earnings statement today. International same-store sales are expected to rise 3 percent to 5 percent, Domino’s said.
The company’s efforts to retool and promote its pizzas are paying off, resulting in traffic growth in all four quarters of 2009, Domino’s Chief Executive Office David Brandon said. Domestic same-store sales rose 0.9 percent for all of 2009, Domino’s said.
Growth was “most significant” during the fourth quarter, Brandon said in today’s statement. “This positive momentum has continued thus far in 2010, as sales and traffic have increased significantly since the launch of our new core pizza.”
Increased pizza consumption may help trim excess cheese supplies and provide a lift for beleaguered dairy producers still reeling from a milk price crash. Pizza generates about $32.5 billion in annual restaurant and grocery store revenue, and about a quarter of all cheese sold is used to make pizza, according to Dairy Management Inc.
The same-store sales outlook is “some much needed good news for the market,” said Scott Brown, a livestock and dairy economist at the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute in Columbia, Mo. “We must have some demand growth if we want milk prices to move higher and stay higher in 2010.”
At the end of January, U.S. cheese inventories totaled 980.8 million pounds, up 11 percent from a year earlier, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. Cheese prices will likely stay below $1.40 a pound for a few months without some additional cheese sales, Brown said. “We have a ways to go yet but this hopefully is the start of good news on the demand front,” he said.
In November, Brandon, the Domino’s CEO, told Dairy Herd Management that using more cheese was yielding benefits. The company’s “cheese-enhanced” American Legends pizzas accounted for a double-digit share of overall pizza sales, and the share is growing, Brandon said.
“When you talk about a product that achieves double-digit mix in its first year of introduction, that is big,” Brandon told Dairy Herd Management.
Sargento Foods Inc. has announced the introduction of a new series of Reduced Sodium cheeses! he six new varieties include Colby-Jack slices, Provolone slices, Colby-Jack snack sticks, String snacks, Mild Cheddar shredded cheese and Mozzarella shredded cheese.
The series offer great flavor for health-conscious consumers looking to indulge their passion for cheese, without having to sacrifice taste. With 25 percent less sodium, the new cheeses are worthy substitutes for regular natural cheese in both cooking and snacking. With National Nutrition Month in March, the launch of the Reduced Sodium line comes at a time when consumers are seeking healthier food options.
“With almost 50 percent of consumers reading food labels for sodium content, we’re responding to their interest in lowering their daily intake by offering Reduced Sodium Sargento cheeses,” said Chris Groom, marketing director. “However, we only wanted to launch the line if we could still provide the great tasting natural cheese that consumers love, which this line does successfully.”
Consumers, regulators and health groups are increasingly watching sodium intake as public service organizations are referring to high sodium diets as the single greatest problem in the American diet. The average daily sodium intake is now 4,000 milligrams, which is about twice the government’s recommended amount for the average person. Health experts claim that as little as a one gram sodium reduction in the American diet per day can help, which is equivalent to 25 percent less, matching the decrease in Sargento Reduced Sodium cheeses.
Available in slices, shreds and snacks, the new Reduced Sodium cheeses will be on grocery store shelves nationwide in March. Product information, recipes and snack ideas featuring the Reduced Sodium cheeses are available online.
Posted: February 12, 2010 at 5:23 pm
By News Editor
The American Cheese Society has named Nora Weiser as the new Executive Director in an effort to successfully transition its growing membership into a self-managed organization.
Nora Weiser, a retail business entrepreneur and former assistant director of the Museum Store Association in Denver Colo., takes the helm of the ACS, an organization that leads in the understanding, appreciation and promotion of farmstead, artisan and specialty cheeses produced in the Americas.
“At more than 1,200 members strong, this is the perfect time for the ACS to move to self management,” said David Gremmels, President of the ACS Board of Directors. “As our new Executive Director, Nora brings with her a great deal of experience, skill and passion to lead our growing organization into a future of increasing membership and financial stability.”
Weiser offers an extensive background in all facets of non-profit association management. In her former work with the Museum Store Association, she directed membership and trade show activities serving 1,800 museums and 900 industry suppliers. She has studied in both London and France, is fluent in French and Dutch, and holds a Master’s Degree in Art History from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. She was profiled in the March 2006 issue of Business Week after successfully starting her own online retail business, BetterWall.com.
Posted: December 8, 2009 at 8:29 pm
By News Editor
Karen Herzog of the Journal Sentinel reported on Friday that the country’s oldest and priciest cheddar has been released by a world champion cheese-maker. It’s a 15-year-old cheddar made by Hook’s Cheese Company of Mineral Point, Wis. What an amazing story – wish I could get my hands on some of this cheese – cheddar is one of my favorites!
It’s the single malt scotch of cheddar.
Older cheddars might exist, but if they do, they’re the stuff of private stashes in cheese-maker cellars – not available to the general public, said John Umhoefer, executive director of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, which hosts national and world cheese competitions.
“I don’t think there’s any cheddar out there older than this one that you can actually buy,” Umhoefer said. “Fifteen years is a good stretch of time to hold a cheddar – perhaps as long as a cheddar can hold for most people’s palates. Making a cheddar that ripe, without it turning bitter or acidic, is a rare skill.”
Julie and Tony Hook are proven cheese-makers; a Colby made by Julie Hook was crowned best cheese in the world at the World Cheese Championship in 1982.
The Hooks kept 1,200 pounds of cheddar in airtight plastic at 38 degrees for 15 years, checking a sample block twice a year to see how it was progressing.
“I knew this was something I could put away for 10 to 12 years,” Tony Hook said. “But it was still excellent at 12 years, so we kept aging it and tasting it. Most people aren’t in the business of investing their money that long in cheese.”
The couple may try aging a 40-pound block for 20 years to meet a growing demand for aged cheddar.
Source: Journal Sentinel Inc.; Copyright 2009, All rights reserved
Posted: November 24, 2009 at 6:31 pm
By News Editor
The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and Wisconsin Cheese have launched a new, interactive website for cheese-lovers! Called “Cheese for Me”, the site takes your answers to several questions and will select a cheese for you based on your flavor preferences, style and sense of adventure. My cheese selection was “Wisconsin Monterey Jack,” because it is a versatile but reliable standby cheese. Yum! What’s your cheese?
Be adventurous. Try something new. Discover the cheese that’s just for you.
Posted: November 16, 2009 at 8:17 pm
By News Editor
America’s dairy farmers delivered a hot and cheesy “thank you” to veterans in five U.S. cities this past Veteran’s Day! Patients in Veterans Administration hospitals in Washington; Chicago; Dallas; San Antonio, Texas and Green Bay, Wis. all received special care packages of pizza and milk courtesy of America’s dairy farmers in partnership with Pizzas 4 Patriots, a non-profit organization that aims to deliver “a slice of home” to U.S. service men and women both domestically and abroad.
“Dairy farmers have a long-standing tradition of supporting our local communities, so we are pleased and honored to join the nation in celebrating the service and sacrifice of America’s Veterans,” said Ken Miller, a Sulphur Springs, Texas-based dairy producer and U.S. Veteran who will be among those serving milk and some 800 slices of Domino’s pizza to Veterans at the Dallas VA Medical Center. “We are proud to show admiration and appreciation for Veterans in a way that is closely connected to what we do as dairy farmers – producing great milk and milk products.”
The idea for Pizzas 4 Patriots was sparked in the summer of 2008, when 15-year-old Kent Evans of Elk Grove Village, Ill., asked his father, retired Air Force Master Sergeant Mark Evans, if they could send pizzas to U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq. His wish became a reality when service men and women at Camp Victory in Baghdad enjoyed a Fourth of July pizza party that brought back fond memories of home and made the troops feel remembered and appreciated.
Pizzas 4 Patriots is now in its second year of showing support for the troops. “Support from others, such as America’s dairy farmers, allows us to achieve our mission,” Evans said. “We’re able to make a positive difference in the lives of our service men and women – those presently serving as well as our wounded Veterans.”
Posted: November 5, 2009 at 8:34 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Even though they are facing their own tough times, Minnesota dairy farmers in Minnesota are still helping out those less fortunate.
Governor Tim Pawlenty was joined at the state capitol by representatives from Minnesota Farmers Helping Families, a coalition of state agriculture commodity groups, who donated approximately 85,000 pounds of pork and more than 36,000 pounds of cheese to Hunger Solutions Minnesota.
“Minnesota farmers are known for their willingness to help neighbors in times of need,” Governor Pawlenty said. “It’s heartwarming to see the agricultural community lending a hand, even as it faces its own economic challenges.” About 200 of the state’s dairy farms have closed in the past year as the worldwide economic crisis has resulted in record low prices and a sharp drop in demand.
“This donation is funded with Minnesota soybean, pork and dairy farmer dollars, and we are proud to play a role in combating hunger across this state with a donation of healthy and nutritious pork and dairy products,” said Pat Lunemann, president of the Minnesota Milk Producers Association and a dairy producer from Clarissa, Minn.
Luneman (second from left) is pictured here with Barb Overlie of the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, Jim Merritt of the Minnesota Pork Board and Gov. Pawlenty.
Posted: October 28, 2009 at 7:45 pm
By News Editor
California’s cow’s milk cheesemakers were honored with 15 awards at the 2009 World Cheese Awards, a prestigious international cheesemaking competition hosted October 1-3 in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.
The annual competition, hosted by the Guild of Fine Foods, boasted more than 2,000 entries from 34 different countries, including Mexico, South Africa, Australia and Japan. The submissions were evaluated by a panel of judges drawn from 24 nations across the globe. California cheesemakers clearly demonstrated the quality and heritage of California dairy: improving upon last year’s remarkable achievement of 10 awards, seven California cheesemakers were awarded two gold, three silver, and 10 bronze awards at this year’s competition.
California winners in the 2009 World Cheese Awards competition included:
Marin French Cheese Company, Petaluma, received 1st place (Gold) for Le Petit Déjeuner in the “Fresh/cream cheese cows’ milk plain” category; 2nd place (Silver) for Le Petit Crème and 3rd place (Bronze) for Le Petit Camembert in the “Mould ripened, soft or unpressed cows’ milk cheese – plain” category; 3rd place (Bronze) for Wildberry Quark in the “Quark plain or with additives” category; 3rd place (Bronze) for Traditional Brie in the “Brie made from pasteurized milk” category; and 3rd place (Bronze) for Marin French Blue in the “Blue vein cheese any variety, uncut, natural rind” category.Joseph Gallo Farms, Atwater, received 1st place (Gold) for “Provolone Cheese in the Provolone – mild” category; and 3rd place (Bronze) for Mild Cheddar Cheese in the “Mild Cheddar made after 05/31/09″ category.Belfiore Cheese Co., Berkeley, received 2nd place (Silver) for Smoked Mozzarella in the “Other smoked cheese – soft/semi soft” category; and 3rd place (Bronze) for Burrata round mozzarella with cream filling in the “All other new cheeses, open to any new cheese first marketed after 10/01/2008″ category.Bellwether Farms, Petaluma, received 2nd place (Silver) for Carmody in the “Semi-hard cheese not in any other class” category.Fiscalini Cheese Company, Modesto, received 3rd place (Bronze) for Horsefeathers in the “Processed cheese or Processed cheese spread with additives” category; and 3rd place (Bronze) for Bandage Wrap Cheddar in the “Extra Mature traditional Cheddar made after 05/31/08″ category.Cantaré Foods Inc., San Diego, received 3rd place (Bronze) for Fresh Mozzarella Ovolini size in the “Mozzarella, fresh, cows’ milk in ball (large or small)” category.Bravo Farms Handmade Cheese, Traver, received 3rd place (Bronze) for Tulare Cannonball in the “Gouda – made after 09/01/2008″ category.
Overall, 37 U.S. artisan cheesemakers were awarded a record 79 medals at this year’s World Cheese Awards. This was the best showing for U.S. cheesemakers in the history of the World Cheese Awards competition.
Shelburne Farms, 1,400 acres of pasture, gardens and woodland, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, along the shore of Vermont’s Lake Champlain. Besides offering $450-a-night accommodations in a 24-room inn, the farm employs 200 shepherds, dairymen, cheesemakers, woodsmen and gardeners, all of them dedicated to living and passing along what the farm calls a “pasture to palate” ethic. Guests can milk doe-eyed Brown Swiss cows beside a milkmaid who knows the Bessies so well she identifies them by their udders. “It’s about teaching people to become part of the story of their food,” says Peter Bullock, who runs summer camps for kids on the farm. “We tell people, ‘Try this! Doesn’t this feel good? Isn’t this fun?’”
Cheese is a relatively recent part of Shelburne’s history. In 1886 William Seward Webb (a physician turned Wall Street financier) and his wife, Eliza (Lila) Osgood Vanderbilt, commissioned Olmsted and architect Robert Henderson Robertson to construct a working farm that could double as a holiday retreat for high-society friends from New York City. It encompassed 3,800 acres with 400 acres of woodland, a breeding barn for carriage horses, a five-story farm barn, a dairy, a carriage barn and a 110-room Queen Anne Revival-style mansion. Olmsted, already distinguished for designing Manhattan’s Central Park, used islands of hardwoods and slopes of clover to make the place a haven of sustainable land management. But the farm fell into disrepair in the 1930s, eventually risking foreclosure until the Webbs’ great-grandchildren–Alexander and Marshall Webb, who, along with their four siblings, stood to inherit the estate–created a nonprofit educational entity on the farm in 1972. As such, the farm could accept donations and apply for federal grants to rebuild and maintain the estate; it also allowed for tax breaks associated with owning a conservation easement. (Papa Webb willed the barns and the land to the nonprofit in 1984.)
Today Shelburne is an unusual blend of nonprofit and for-profit operations that brought in $8.1 million in revenue last year. Of that, $4.1 million came from for-profit businesses: the inn and restaurant ($2.4 million); cheddar sales ($900,000, most of it mail order); gift shop items ($570,000); and special events like weddings and a Mozart festival ($240,000). The rest comes from various not-for-profit sources: the dairy; contributions, gifts and grants (Vermonters are big givers); summer camps; and adult classes on cheesemaking. The farm’s $4 million endowment, invested mostly in money market funds and U.S. Treasurys, kicked in $160,000 or so last year. Whole Foods has recently ponied up a $100,000 order. (more…)
This November, the University of Wisconsin Press is serving up a new book about the lives and practices of the Dairyland State’s cream of the crop: the Master Cheesemakers of Wisconsin. Called THE MASTER CHEESEMAKERS OF WISCONSIN, the book is written and photographed by James Norton and Becca Dilley and is due to be published on November 24, 2009. Be sure to get your copy today!
This book—beautifully photographed and engagingly written—introduces hardworking, resourceful men and women who represent an artisanal craft that has roots in Europe but has been a Wisconsin tradition since the 1850s. Wisconsin produces more than six hundred varieties of cheese, from massive wheels of cheddar and swiss to bricks of brick and limburger to such specialties such as crescenza-stracchino and Finnish juustoleipa. These masters combine tradition, technology, artistry, and years of dedicated learning—in a profession that depends on fickle, living ingredients—to create the rich tastes and beautiful presentation of their skillfully crafted products.
Certification as a Master Cheesemaker typically takes almost fifteen years. An applicant must hold a cheesemaking license for at least ten years, create one or two chosen varieties of cheese for at least five years, take more than two years of university courses, consent to constant testing of their cheese and evaluation of their plant, and pass grueling oral and written exams to be awarded the prestigious title.
James Norton and Becca Dilley interviewed these dairy artisans, listened to their stories, tasted their cheeses, and explored the plants where they work. Publication of this volume has been made possible, in part, through support from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc. and the dairy farm families of Wisconsin.
This book includes:
• 52 color photos, 62 b/w photos, and 5 maps
• Profiles of the 43 certified Master Cheesemakers of Wisconsin
• A glossary of cheesemaking terms
• Touring and tasting opportunities
• Tasting notes and food pairing recommendations
• Tasty curds of information about cheese
Posted: September 30, 2009 at 12:36 pm
By Carly Zimmerman
World Dairy Diary coverage of World Dairy Expo is sponsored by:
The Badger Dairy Club, a student organization on the UW-Madison campus, has become famous for their legendary grilled cheeses they bring to the World Dairy Expo. Every year members of the Badger Dairy Club come to the expo and prepare thousands of grilled cheeses to sell to hungry expo goers. This is one of the club’s biggest fundraisers. Members also put countless of hours before, during and after the expo making the sandwiches as well as setting up show ring displays, picking up milk, and cleaning up the barns.
I took a moment to try one of their famous grilled cheeses. After just one bite you can tell they have grilled cheese sandwich making down to an art. Take a look at a video below of my experience.
Attention cheese lovers! This fall, the state of Wisconsin is hosting the first Wisconsin Original Cheese Festival, where “cheese-heads” will have the opportunity to tour cheese factories, attend seminars, and taste over 100 different Wisconsin made cheeses! Book your tickets now for the November 6-7 event!
“Wisconsin is becoming nationally recognized as a mecca for original artisan, farmstead and specialty cheeses,” Jeanne Carpenter, executive director of Wisconsin Cheese Originals, said in a statement. “The festival will be the perfect venue to learn more about and taste these cheeses.”
The festival opens Friday night, Nov. 6, with a gala reception at Monona Terrace, where cheese lovers will be able to talk (and munch) cheese with the makers.
The full-course Saturday starts with either a bus tour of Green County cheese factories, including Chalet Cheese, the only limburger cheese factory in America, or a guided tour of the farmers market on Capitol Square.
The afternoon courses literally are courses in the art of fine cheesemaking, eating and pairing with wine and beer.
The festival ends on a gastronomic note as six local restaurants host cheesemakers and their cheeses in unique three-course dinners.
“The festival will be a premier destination for cheese enthusiasts and food buyers from across the nation,” Carpenter said.
“Outdoor activities like camping and hiking are excellent ways for your family to get lots of exercise and fresh air,” Sara Wing, Registered Dietitian and Health & Education Programs Manager for Cabot Creamery Cooperative says. “But even away from home, there’s no need to load up on junk foods and unhealthy beverages when you can carry healthy treats in your backpack and cook healthy meals while on the trail or camping.”
Cabot’s individually wrapped, three-quarter ounce, 50-percent reduced fat cheddar bars are the ideal snack for hikers and campers. These energy boosters are high in protein, low in fat, and easy to carry on the go.
“One of my favorite recipes for camping, hiking or RVing,” Wing says,” is Cabot’s Cheesy Tortilla Rolls; they’re healthy and easy to make. You don’t need a lot of cooking gear or utensils, and there’s not a lot of cleanup involved when you’re done. That’s something anyone enjoying the great outdoors will appreciate.”
Cheesy Tortilla Rolls
Makes 2 servings
3 tablespoons fat-free cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons tomato salsa
1 (10-inch) flour tortilla
1/3 cup Cabot 50% Reduced Fat Jalapeno Cheddar, grated
1 tablespoon minced green onion, green part only
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1. In small bowl, stir together cream cheese and salsa. Spread cream cheese mixture over tortilla.
2. Sprinkle evenly with cheese, green onions and cilantro. Roll up tightly. Slice in half diagonally.
Saputo Cheese USA Inc. plans to close its plant in Fond du Lac, Wis. by the end of the year, leaving 39 employees without jobs. Layoffs are expected to occur no later than Dec. 31, according to a plant closing notice filed Monday with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. The decision is part of the company’s effort to improve overall operational efficiency, according to the notice. The Saputo plant produces blue cheese, mozzarella sticks and condensed whey products.
At the International Cheese Awards 2009 in Nantwich (Cheshire, England) July 28 & 29 Von Muhlenen’s “Le Gruyere Premier Cru” was awarded “The Supreme Champion Overseas”, as previously won in 2006, from an array of entries from 24 different countries. Also, “Le Gruyere Premier Cru” won Gold in the Single Specialty Cheese Class and was awarded the LTS Litman Trophy. The cheese was then short-listed for the overall award of Nantwich Show Champion 2009; narrowly coming 2nd from a total of 2,761 entrants. Le Gruyere Premier Cru was also given the title of Reserve Champion to a British Stilton Cheese.
The Nantwich Show is the world’s largest cheese show and is celebrating 113 years of judging the best of UK and international cheeses. The von Muhlenen family continues its unprecedented level of achievement at major cheese competitions, previously being awarded overall world champion 1992, 2002, 2005 (World Cheese Awards) & 2nd overall in 2008, and overall world champion 2006 (Wisconsin).
Von Muhlenen won the following prizes:
Le Gruyere Premier Cru produced and matured for 14 months in Fribourg:
– Best Single Specialty Cheese (LTS Litmann Trophy)
– Best imported cheese “Supreme Champion Overseas”
– Reserve Supreme Champion
Alpine Bel produced and matured for 8 months in Fribourg:
– Gold in the category Single Specialty Cheese
Swiss Premium Mozzarella, produced in the Dairy of the Swiss Premium Ltd in Dietikon:
Local cheesemakers included: Meister Cheese Company of Muscoda, Wis. – 3 Alarm Monterey Jack; Park Cheese Company, Inc. of Fond du Lac, Wis. – Provolone; Klondike Cheese Company of Monroe, Wis – Feta; and Pine River Cheese of Newton, WI –Cheese Spread.
Sarah “The Cheese Lady” is a nationally recognized cheese sculptor. Since 1996, she has received hundreds of commissions for her cheese creations, which have captured countless media impressions. Kaufmann creates some sculptures in her studios in Cincinnati and San Diego and also appears in person to sculpt cheese at a variety of venues: food & wine festivals, supermarkets, tradeshows, state fairs, sporting events, civic celebrations and other special occasions.
Posted: July 7, 2009 at 2:18 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
For the third year in a row, Cheez-It crackers saluted one of America’s “big cheeses” by commissioning a cheese carving of patriotic significance, known as The Cheez-It Big Cheese™. This year, to commemorate the bicentennial year of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, master cheese carver Troy Landwehr created his tallest Big Cheese statue to date: a life-sized rendering of America’s 16th president.
Using a 1,000-pound block of Wisconsin cheddar cheese, Landwehr carved a rendering of Lincoln that measured 6-feet, 8-inches tall: Lincoln in a standing position, complete with his famous top hat. The Cheez-It Big Cheese carving of life-sized Lincoln was on display in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial on July 3, to kick-off the Independence Day holiday weekend. Patriots and cheese enthusiasts alike had the opportunity to visit The Cheez-It Big Cheese carving of Lincoln, take photographs with the life-sized replica, and sample Cheez-It crackers.
Sadly, the Green Bay Press Gazette reports that Mr. Lincoln lost his head during the course of his appearance in the nation’s capitol.
“The event was from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., it was 85-degree weather and during the course of the event we had people coming, taking pictures, posing with Lincoln, and at the very end of the event a girl was posing with Lincoln kind of accidentally kicked the podium he was standing on,” said Jessica Wickliffe, whose firm publicized the statue’s appearance for Cheez-It, its sponsor.
Somebody said, “Just say cheese.” Then, Lincoln’s head rolled. So did his torso.
But, the article reports that there was a happy ending, as the cheese carver did manage to put the presidential cheese back together again for a Sunday appearance on Fox and Friends. The Big Cheese is now reportedly on display at Kerrigan Brothers Winery in Wisconsin for a couple of days before becoming a disassembled donation to charity.
Have you tried Domino’s new American Legends specialty pizzas yet? On this last day of June Dairy Month, dairy producers, through their investment with Dairy Management Inc., announce the launch of Domino’s second phase for the premium pizzas, which use 40-percent more cheese than a traditional Domino’s pizza
To help revitalize the pizza category and build cheese sales, dairy producers and Domino’s Pizza launched the second phase of the American Legends specialty pizzas earlier this month. This is part of a multi-year partnership between dairy producers, through their checkoff investment, and Domino’s Pizza.
Domino’s kicked off phase two of the campaign by airing a new round of radio and television commercials emphasizing the premium ingredients and the cities for which the pizzas are named. The ads will run now through July 19.
“The dairy checkoff remains focused on building partnerships with industry leaders, such as Domino’s Pizza, to help drive immediate- and long-term sales for U.S. dairy products and ingredients,” said Paul Rovey, Arizona dairy producer and chair of Dairy Management Inc., which manages the national dairy checkoff. “The potential from these new pizzas could result in more than 10 million additional pounds of cheese sold annually.”
Domino’s introduced American Legends pizzas in February as permanent menu items that represent regional tastes — Philly Cheese Steak, Pacific Veggie, Honolulu Hawaiian, Cali Chicken Bacon Ranch, Memphis BBQ Chicken, Buffalo Chicken, and the new Fiery Hawaiian. Each pizza offering uses two or more types of cheeses in addition to Domino’s signature cheesy crust.
The campaign also includes cheese-focused pizza boxes, box-toppers, print advertising, online/text message ordering and various sampling tactics.
Dairy producers are supporting the effort through advertising, public relations, local market promotions, and other communications support. Amid a challenging market, Domino’s reported an increase in first quarter sales thanks, in part, to the Domino’s American Legends pizzas.
A proposed Leprino Foods cheese plant in Greeley, Colo. is still on track, but depressed milk prices may force a change in the schedule of how that new plant is built.
The $143 million, 847,000-square-foot plant, to be built on the former site of the Western Sugar Cooperative factory, will convert milk into cheese for use primarily on the nation’s pizzas. At its inception, Leprino said the plant would employ 260 people, with 500 total new jobs created when all construction is complete in later building phases.
But those phases may be changed due to economic conditions of the dairy industry, said Becky Safarik, community development director for the city of Greeley, who has been in regular contact with company officials.
“They (Leprino) are cautiously optimistic,” Safarik said. “I’m in contact with them almost every week, and they are still moving ahead, but they may be bumping their time line.” She said grading permits for the site east of 1st Avenue and 13th Street, are ready, and Leprino officials indicated they would pick those up by the end of the month.
She said she has been told the dairy industry may start to see improvement later this year, but how long that will take is up for conjecture.
The economy in general has forced businesses to slow, and that includes Leprino, which is the largest producer of mozzarella cheese in the country for the quick-service restaurant business. In addition to a plant in Fort Morgan and the planned Greeley facility, it has operations in Minnesota, New Mexico, Nebraska, California and the United Kingdom.
Leprino gets all of its milk from Dairy Farmers of America, a cooperative that includes most Colorado dairies. In addition to the mozzarella cheese it provides as diced and shredded product, it produces whey and lactose products, which it also will do at the Greeley plant.
In response to the current milk price crisis affecting dairy farmers across the country, the National Milk Producers Federation’s newly-formed Strategic Planning Task Force met last week to focus on short-term solutions and to establish an aggressive schedule for addressing longer-term solutions to the problem.
The new group voted to recommend the utilization of the Dairy Export Incentive Program to its fullest extent. The program has the potential to export the equivalent of more than 1.5 billion pounds of milk. Jerry Kozak, president and CEO of the producers group, said that move will further aid efforts to correct the supply-demand imbalance at the heart of the financial crisis that has hit the industry.
Here’s a great promotion for June Dairy Month hot off the wire. Order yourself a Domino’s Pizza tonight and thank a dairy farmer!
Midwest Dairy Association, which helps to increase demand and sales for dairy products on behalf of dairy farmers in nine Midwest states, is partnering with Domino’s franchisees across the Midwest during June Dairy Month and through the summer months to reintroduce consumers to Domino’s new line of American Legends pizza, which are made with up to 40 percent more cheese.
Domestic cheese sales are important to dairy farmers. About 25 percent of total cheese is used on pizza, representing more than 25 billion pounds of annual milk production. According to USDA National Agricultural Statistic Service, 40 percent of the milk produced in Midwest Dairy’s nine-state territory goes into cheese production.
“Pizza sales are important, because they directly affect overall cheese sales,” says Jerry Messer, a North Dakota dairy farmer and chairman of Midwest Dairy Association. “It’s important to my fellow dairy producers and to me that we help reinvigorate the pizza category and increase sales for pizza products containing more cheese, and June Dairy Month is the perfect opportunity to get people excited about it.”
Have you tried an American Legends pizza yet from Domino’s? The pizza, which uses 40% more cheese, is one reason why Domino’s was able to report a profit for 2009, and is good news for dairy farmers.
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