Land O’ Lakes’s New Purchase May Make Cheese Lovers Very Happy

Land O’ Lakes Inc., a member-owned agricultural cooperative based in the Minneapolis-St. Paul suburb of Arden Hills, Minnesota, just made a huge purchase of Vermont Creamery.

Vermont Creamery is a pioneer in artisanal cheese-making in the U.S.

Co-founders Allison Hooper commented, “We have always taken seriously our commitment to our farmers, employees and Vermont’s working landscape — these values are at the core of our decision to sell the business.”

“As we experience unprecedented growth, we need a partner who can bring the resources and expertise necessary to help us realize our vision and the potential of our business.”

Bot Hooper and co-founder Bob Reese said Wednesday that Vermont Creamery is a “a good fit.”

Land O’Lakes president and CEO Chris Policinski said the company would like to bring the brand to even more people.

Started in 1984, Vermont Creamery has earned over 100 national and international awards and Hooper was among eight pioneer goat cheesemakers around the country inducted into the American Cheese Society Academy of Cheese in 2011 for their contributions to the growth in U.S. goat cheese.

Thomas Bivins, executive director of the Vermont Cheese Council, which represents about 50 cheesemakers in Vermont, has said, “I think really it ultimately allows these smaller companies to subsidize their operations and improve their factories, create more products, purchase more milk, so all of those things are actually, I think, good for the economy.”

“What makes Vermont cheese so attractive to larger companies like this is that we have a certain level of quality that’s been apparent for quite some time and I think that they want to make a product that’s this good,” he explained.

As part of the acquisition, Vermont Creamery will become an independently operated subsidiary of Land O’ Lakes and will continue to make goat cheese, cultured butter and fresh dairy in Websterville.