In my role as Marketing and Outreach Specialist for Whole Planet Foundation, I have the amazing opportunity to cultivate relationships with Whole Foods Market’s supplier community to help us raise funds and awareness. Up until recently, the majority of our supplier partners have come from Grocery and Whole Body departments. In partnership with Whole Foods Market’s global cheese buyer Cathy Strange, we are thrilled to tell you about our newest supplier partner – Snøfrisk! Not only do they have some of the highest quality and best tasting cheese products sold in stores, they are Whole Planet Foundation’s first ever specialty cheese supplier partner that is helping us to fund micolending projects around the globe.
Before I connected with the sales and marketing team, I wanted to learn more about these products and the stories behind them. From the makers of Jarlsberg cheese, Snøfrisk is made in the mountains of Norway. The Ø in the name of the product is part of the Norwegian alphabet and pronounced like ’ieu’ in the French word ”adieu.” The name Snøfrisk translates to Snow 
Fresh because the cheese is white as snow and made from the purest and freshest quality goat’s milk. Seriously, this stuff is some of the whitest cheese I have ever seen! Norway is so far north that I didn’t realize goats could thrive there, but thanks to the Gulf Stream, Norway enjoys a climate which makes it very habitable for humans and animals alike. The clean and crisp air, fresh water, steep hillsides and green pastures create a nice environment for the goats to graze. Additionally, Norway’s stringent import restrictions protect the plants and animals against diseases resulting in products of the highest standards and without the use of medicines and chemicals. The Snøfrisk goats are nanny goats-ancestors of the first wild bezoar goats from 10,000 years ago live in small herds which allow the farmers to keep in close touch with their animals. In my next life, I think I will come back as a Norwegian goat to live the life on unspoiled, lush and rolling grass hills surrounded by the mountain air.
For the entire year 2013, Norseland will donate $.25 to Whole Planet Foundation for each pound of wheels and spreads purchased by Whole Foods Market stores companywide. This will help microentrepreneurs like Dally, who raises goats in India, to start or expand home-based businesses to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. Because Whole Foods Market covers all of the operating costs of the foundation, 100% of Norseland’s contributions and generosity will help empower microentrepreneurs to change their own lives. Through this partnership, we aim to raise $10,000 to help us fund poverty alleviation through microcredit in the 55 countries where we work. As our current average loan size is $162, we hope to create 61 new microloans that will change the lives of 365 people.
Learn more about our newest partner at www.Snofriskusa.com, www.Jarlsbergusa.com and www.Norseland.com and follow them on Facebook and Twitter to stay connected. You can also check out some delicious recipes using Snøfrisk. We hope that you will join us in thanking Snøfrisk for their generosity!