McCadam® And Cabot® Creamery Cooperative Farmers Open Their Barn Doors To The Public For "Open Farm Sunday," October 13, 2013

NEW YORK STATE, Oct. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- If you've ever wondered why buying local is important, 13 farm families from upstate New York who are member-owners of Cabot Creamery Cooperative, invite the public to celebrate local, sustainable dairy farming during "Open Farm Sunday," October 13, 2013, from 11:00am-2:00pm.

Visitors will experience the family traditions and local flavors that go into making the cooperative's award-winning McCadam brand of cheddar cheese, as guests are invited to meet the farmers, see their cows, join in barnyard activities and of course, sample delicious McCadam cheese.

"When you buy McCadam or Cabot Cheese cheese at your grocery store, you probably don't realize you're buying a local product from a company owned by the farmers that make that cheese," says Cabot Senior Vice President of Marketing, Roberta MacDonald. "Open Farm Sunday allows our customers to better understand that through buying McCadam, they are helping to sustain local farmers, boost the local economy and support environmental sustainability."

Cabot Creamery Cooperative was founded in 1919 and is owned by more than 1200 farm families located throughout New England and upstate New York. The cooperative business model enables many of the farmers to stay in business through tough economic times and avoid selling their critically valuable farmland to developers.  Equally important, the cooperative enables member-owners to share the resources, skills and knowledge that go into making all of its award-winning products.

Over the years, McCadam and Cabot cheddars have won every major award for taste. Most recently, McCadam swept the 2013 New York State Fair Dairy Competition cheddar categories, taking home all three possible gold medals, and four of the six possible cheddar medals. And Cabot just received eight awards, including four 1st place ribbons, at the 2013 American Cheese Society (ACS) Competition. This year's string of blue-ribbon finishes brings Cabot's total to an impressive 15 first-place awards in just five years.

The public is welcome to celebrate the local flavor - and the very farmers that make McCadam and Cabot so delicious. In New York State, it's easy to go on a multi-destination farm tour, for example, from Toll Gate Farm in Ancramdale, down to Willow Brook Farms in Millerton, and winding up at Coon Brothers Farm in Amenia – the perfect way to spend a day with family and friends, and enjoy delicious McCadam cheddar.

"We're excited to meet our customers on Open Farm Sunday," said Jim and Karen Davenport, owners of Toll Gate Farm in Ancramdale, NY. "We're proud to be owners of McCadam and Cabot, and to consistently produce great-tasting, nutritious dairy products in an environmentally sound manner. A shout-out to all who came to Open Farm Sunday in 2011!  And yes, our petting zoo will be open!"

For those who can't visit a participating farm on October 13, McCadam and Cabot have created a 'Virtual Farm Tour' where the public can visit our local family farmers online at: www.OpenFarmSunday.com.

New York Open Farm Sunday Participants Include:

• Coon Brothers Farm, Amenia
• Country Cousins Farm, Evans Mills
• Dellavale, Pattersonville
• Dimock Farms LLC, Peru
• Douglas Farm, Ilion
• Five Mile Farm, Lisbon
• Hidden View Farm, LLC, Champlain
• Kenyon Hill Farm, Cambridge
• LiddleHolme, Argyle
• Tiashoke Farms, Schaghticoke
• Toll Gate Farm, Ancramdale
• Willow Brook Farms, Millerton
• Windstott Farm, Genoa

A list of McCadam and Cabot Creamery Cooperative farms, located across New York and New England, is available at: www.cabotcheese.coop.

About McCadam Cheese and Cabot Creamery Cooperative
McCadam and Cabot are sister brands of Cabot Creamery Cooperative, and are owned and operated by Agri-Mark, the Northeast's leading dairy cooperative.  The cooperative makes a full line of cheeses, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese and butter, and is owned by 1,200 dairy farm families located through New England and upstate New York.  Please visit www.cabotcheese.coop for more information.

Cabot Creamery Cooperative is the world's first cheese maker and dairy cooperative to achieve B Corporation Certification, a validation of its attention to environmental and social impacts on stakeholders.

CONTACT: Ariane Doud, [email protected], 978-283-2674

SOURCE McCadam Cheese and Cabot Creamery Cooperative