By Ali Boochever, Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center
While Vermont may produce the most milk in New England, there are also many great dairy farmers and processors beyond our borders. At the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC), we fund grant projects in 11 Northeast states. With an aim to increase resiliency in the dairy sector, taking a regional approach allows NE-DBIC to connect and support dairy across state lines. While we typically highlight Vermont grantees in Agriview, we also want to zoom out and share how our Vermont-based team is impacting the wider region.
Take Bell & Goose Cheese Co, for example. In 2022, NE-DBIC awarded Bell & Goose a Dairy Marketing and Branding Services Grant. A year later, they have much to show. Located on Heron Pond Farm in South Hampton, NH, with milk from Breezy Hill Creamery in Greenland, NH, Anna Cantelmo of Bell & Goose has been making an array of cheeses since 2016. Thanks to their Dairy Marketing and Branding Services Grant project, Bell & Goose has acquired all the assets necessary to take their business to the next level. With help from their marketing consultant, The Social HQ, Bell & Goose now has a new website with e-commerce capabilities and active social media accounts. They also have a content packet for posting engaging content on their social media accounts, along with unified packaging for all cheeses, with each having a cohesive logo and label. This includes necessary nutritional information and bar codes, allowing them to sell to larger stores and outlets. Additionally, they have printed marketing materials and professional photography to help tell the unique story of Bell & Goose Cheese Co.
The work produced from this grant will allow for more wholesale and direct-to-consumer sales abilities and overall increased brand awareness. "The materials and our revamped website have significantly improved our sales and relationships with wholesale distributors,” Cantelmo says. “We're excited about the possibility of shipping our products, which could be a whole new revenue stream." What’s more, “the completion of this project has opened doors to new connections in the dairy industry. From chefs to buyers, these relationships are invaluable for future growth.”
Thanks to the grant and the new perspective gained about the value in seeking out opportunities, Bell & Goose applied for, and won a bronze medal, at the American Cheese Society for 2023 for their marinated feta cheese, further boosting their wholesale sales.
Last but not least, as Cantelmo was able to focus more on her marketing strategy, she saw the need to re-start the New Hampshire Cheese Guild both for herself as an NH cheese maker and with the philosophy that “a rising tide lifts all ships.” She is now the President of the Guild and is helping to connect dairy farmers with cheesemakers to make it easier for them to find each other going forward. Keep an eye out for a NH Cheese Guild website launching soon!
The next round of the Dairy Marketing & Branding Services Grant opens this month. Learn how to apply at nedairyinnovation.com/dairy-marketing-branding-services/