Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram included a profiles of the company and the Gifford family.
Roughly 30 years ago, Randall Gifford left the fate of his Skowhegan dairy in the hands of two of his sons, Roger and John.
They had a choice to make: Continue the dairy business, or sell their father’s company and switch to making ice cream.
It was a big decision — at the time, Gifford’s dairy was one of the largest in Maine.
A collection of food news and links for your Saturday morning:
Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes a report the parasitic disease MSX that’s threatening the oyster industry in Maine,
It was always thought that Maine waters were too cold for the parasite to take hold — until last July. That’s when dead oysters began to show up in the holding rafts, where they are stored for a couple of weeks of de-silting after being harvested from their muddy beds farther up the river.
and profiles of Stonewall Kitchen and its two founders Jonathan King and Jim Stott,
When the partners launched Stonewall Kitchen in 1991, they just wanted to earn a few extra bucks to pay off student loans.
But the market for specialty jams, jellies and sauces, which the partners initially cooked in King’s grandparents’ summer cabin, proved bigger than they imagined. Much bigger.
The New York Times has published an article about Maine’s Own Organic Milk and the challenges the organic dairy operation faces in trying to in business.
So far, success has been elusive. Ever since its milk began hitting shelves in January 2010, the company has barely managed to stay afloat, relying on a mix of investor money, grants, charitable donations and the kindness of neighbors buying half-gallons in solidarity.
“Our boat is made of duct tape and we’ve almost sunk a few times, but we’re paddling along,” said Mr. Bell, 33.
For more information about Maine’s Own Organic Milk and where to buy it, visit their website.
Boston’s ABC affiliate WCVB aired a news segment on Portland earlier this week that profiled Harbor Fish Market and Grace.
Maine Ahead has published a profile of Coffee by Design.
CBD sells coffee, foods, and merchandise, much of it sourced locally and in Maine, at its stores and online. They sell a range of products wholesale customers need to run their businesses—equipment, foods, syrups and bases—along with consulting services, including training, equipment service, and the kind of relationship that helps wholesale clients succeed. Wholesale makes up about 60% of revenues, with a goal of 80%.
The Maine Sunday Telegram has published profiles of Haven’s Candy,
“What I love about Haven’s is that we are 96 years old, and although we have expanded our size and scope, and adopted some technology, we still make candy by hand,” Charles said. “We are sticking to our roots. That’s the soul of the company.”
“I was in my early 40s and thought, if I don’t get busy with this, I’ll wake up in my 70s with regrets,” he said of his decision to purchase the company in 2001. “I had an ‘Aha!’ moment.”
Charles, now 53, said he bought Haven’s because he was impressed with the company’s rich legacy in Portland and reputation for high-quality products.
The Portland Daily Sun has published a profile of Ohno Cafe,
Ohno Cafe is a cozy neighborhood spot on Bracket Street in the West End offering breakfast, lunch and dinner options as well as a wide selections of wine and speciality beers.
But look below the surface and you’ll find that it’s also a high-yield production facility for the city’s premier pork-maple-Tabasco breakfast sandwich concoction known to it’s devoted following simply as “the number one”.
Today’s Press Herald includes a profile of a Freeport entrepeneur who’s created a line of organic gluten free and dairy free energy bars,
“I started with the Goji-Pistachio bar,” Crush said. “Then I said, ‘I need something for people who need a little crunch.”‘
Thus, the Krunch Bar was born.
From there, Crush continued to expand the line, which now includes nine bars, three cookies and a package of mini-brownies.
The new issue of Maine Ahead magazine includes a profile of Stonewall Kitchen,
In 1991, Jim Stott and Jonathan King got a small folding table, a big umbrella, and took hand-labeled jars of their homemade jam to their first farmers market under the name Stonewall Kitchen. When they sold out before the day’s end, they knew they were onto something.