Making Waves in the Dairy Industry: Kalona SuperNatural™ Goes Above and Beyond During Unprecedented Times
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Certified Organic Dairy Honors June’s National Dairy Month by Supporting Regenerative Agriculture and Small Scale Family Farmers as a Sustainable Solution to Protect Livestock and Preserve the Land for Future Generations
Kalona, IA (June 22, 2020) – Kalona SuperNatural, an emerging, certified-organic, grass-fed dairy producer and brand is making waves during this year’s National Dairy Month by remaining resilient during these unprecedented times. According to the International Dairy Foods Association, National Dairy Month was created in 1937 to encourage Americans to consume more milk to fix the over surplus of product.
This past spring, many conventional dairies were forced to dispense milk because of a lack of demand. Since the pandemic began earlier this year, Kalona has been busy filling distributors’ large orders and working closely with its more than 40+ Amish and Mennonite dairy farmers in eastern Iowa.
Kalona’s CEO and Founder, Bill Evans, was recently quoted in a series of articles published by Presence Marketing, the nation’s largest independent natural and organic food brokerage firm and New Hope Network, an internationally recognized media leader in the natural products industry. Evans indicated that this is a crucial time for dairies, such as Kalona, to be recognized for the ripple they are making in helping the dairy industry regain strength.
"The conventional guys are having issues because they’ve got a large portion of their manufacturing set up for food service; there was no place for that to go a month ago, and it's still limited," Evans says. "We’ve been able to accommodate a 25-30% increase in sales volume, whereas larger producers are shorting people. Kalona SuperNatural has been more successful than others in balancing our organic milk supply."
With more than six months left on the books for the year, Kalona SuperNatural not only has its eye on the state of the industry, they are also paying close attention to the fields.
Going Beyond Organic
Kalona SuperNatural creates delicious, certified organic cream-topped dairy products that are non-homogenized and batch-pasteurized to preserve the fresh flavors. The Amish and Mennonite farmers that are part of the Kalona SuperNatural family of farms take a holistic approach to farming and have done so for the past 100 years.
The farmers believe in allowing their cows to engage in their natural behaviors and move freely in open pastures. This grazing practice mimics the natural movement of wild herds in times passed and follows regenerative agriculture methods, a sustainable approach to farming. When dairy cows are pasture-grazed, they become a boon for combating climate change.
Kalona also encourages its farmers to practice a technique called mob grazing, which means a farmer will put their herd out to graze on a small plot of land daily. They will continue to rotate the herd to various parcels of land, letting the grazed plots rest and rebuild naturally. This technique is done without the use of pesticides and fertilizers and provides cows with plants and grasses rich in nutrients. The result contains more nutritious milk for consumers.
In Support of Regenerative Agriculture
As awareness of climate change grows, Kalona SuperNatural is looking at innovative farming practices that are traditional, yet sustainable. “We are looking to utilize farms as a force for good,” says Phil Forbes, Kalona SuperNatural’s Director of Supply Chain.
“What’s beautiful about regenerative agriculture is that it’s not prescriptive,” Forbes says. “Regenerative agriculture provides us with a framework of modern techniques done sustainably. We want our farmers to manage their land in a sustainable manner that works within the context of their land. There's creative freedom in that model for farmers, and the outcome is net positive for the entire ecosystem."
Evans adds, “At Kalona, we’re ‘Dairy Proud’ all year long, beyond National Dairy Month. Every purchase of our products is a vote for a healthier planet.”
Where to Find Kalona SuperNatural
Kalona SuperNatural products are available at leading retailers in the western U.S., including Whole Foods Market, Natural Grocers, Sprouts Farmers Market, Fresh Thyme, Hy-Vee, and other independent natural food stores, co-ops, and grocers. Visit kalonasupernatural.com/store-locator.
For wholesale and sales inquiries, please contact Sharon Lake, Supply Chain Manager, sharon.lake@opengatesgroup.com.
About Kalona SuperNatural
Kalona SuperNatural is based in a thriving organic farming community in the heartland of America - Kalona, Iowa. They work with small, sustainable Amish and Mennonite family farms to produce delicious, minimally-processed organic dairy products from pasture-grazed cows. Kalona SuperNatural offers a full line of certified organic dairy products. Learn more at kalonasupernatural.com.
Media Contact
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, tel 303.807.1042, steven@compassnaturalmarketing.com
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