For many, the name Cabot equals cheddar – cheese that is. Best known as makers of “The World’s Best Cheddar,” Cabot Creamery is owned by 1200 dairy farm families located throughout New England and upstate New York. This B Corp has been in continuous operation in Vermont since 1919, and makes a full line of cheeses, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, and butter. However, fewer know about Cabot’s other obsession, community.
“Volunteerism is a key part of who we are,” said Roberta MacDonald, Senior VP of Marketing. “Our farm-family owners are volunteer firefighters, scoutmasters and town moderators. They understand that volunteering helps make our nation the best it can be. So we strive to recognize volunteers for all the good they do, and in turn, encourage others to give freely of their time, too.”
Cabot puts this principle into practice through their Reward Volunteers program – a computer widget and free mobile app for iPhone that allows individuals and organizations to track their volunteer hours. These hours can then be converted into rewards, as a thank you for improving the community and inspiring others through Facebook to do the same. Rewards Volunteers 1.0 launched in February in celebration of 2012 being the International Year of the Cooperative. Volunteers from 46 states logged more than 44,000 hours of service at over 800 organizations – in just six months! In answer to this enthusiasm, Cabot just launched version 2.0, with new prizes and the goal to double the number of hours served.
This kind of commitment to the community and their owner-farmers makes Cabot a great fit for B Corp certification. Though only recently certified, Cabot has been creating a positive impact for decades.
“Cabot’s B Corporation Certification is an important third-party validation of our business practices,” says Dr. Richard Stammer, Cabot CEO. “These practices include governance by our farmer owners, the environmental impact we have on the land, how we treat our employees, and how we support the communities where we live, work and sell our products.”
Volunteer Rewards allows volunteers to track and improve their impact; the B Corp certification allows Cabot to do the same. Want to join in and see how you’re doing? Download the latest Rewards Volunteers App here.
To learn more about cheese, community and co-ops, check out Cabot Creamery and the practices that make them a better way to do business.
