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Greek Yogurt: Good For You AND Good For New York
By
Garth Johnston
Published Jan 23, 2012
Modified Jan 23, 2012
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By
Garth Johnston
Published Jan 23, 2012
Modified Jan 23, 2012
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If you've been looking for another reason to eat some Greek yogurt—the incredibly popular, thicker, tangier cousin to American yogurt—well, look no more. Not only is the stuff packed with protein to help you with your New Year's resolution (remember that?) but it also is great for the local economy. Upstate dairy farmers will thank you!
In the last six years, sales of Greek yogurt from brands like Fage, Chobani and Oikos, have soared 2500%, especially among rich East Coast women. And much of that yogurt is made right here in New York State. Plants making Chobani and Fage, in particular, not only employ 1,240 full-time workers but they also buy up fifty or more tanker trucks a day of milk from upstate in each plant alone. For the record, "it takes roughly four gallons of milk to make one gallon of Greek yogurt."
And more is coming. Another company, "Alpina, plans to open a plant to the west in Batavia this summer that will make both Greek and Swiss-style for a yogurt and granola product." So no wonder Andrew Cuomo got all involved recently and had the State chip in $16 million in "state incentives for the Chobani expansion." Right now Greek yogurt has about $1 billion in annual sales (of a total market of $4.1 billion) and its share is expected to keep growing as American firms start getting into the game. As long as they make it in the Empire State, we say the more the merrier.
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chobani
fage
greek yogurt
upstate new york
yogurt
Garth Johnston
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