Dairy has been a staple in our household since I was a child. Every morning before school, my mom would make sure my sisters and I woke up on time, brushed our teeth, combed our hair, packed our bags and ate. Since we were lazy kids, waking up was the hardest part of this routine. In order to speed up the process, she made sure to heat up a glass of warm milk ahead of time so it would be ready. She also made sure we finished every last drop so we wouldn’t get hungry before recess break.
A lot has changed since then and as we are getting older, understanding where our food comes from is a top priority. With so many options in grocery store shelves, how do we know where our money is being spent?
Agropur
Agropur is a Canadian Dairy Cooperative owned by 3,290 farmers and brings in more than 6 billion dollars in sales based off the unique cooperative business model of sharing wealth between its members. As the members pool their resources together, they are able to generate and share wealth to help keep their farm sustainable for years to come. As there are increasingly more competition among the worldwide dairy industry, there is definitely strength in numbers to stay competitive in the industry.
There are a lot of Canadian companies use the cooperative model – MEC, The Co-operators, and Home Hardware to name a few. I personally work for a financial cooperative and have seen first hand how money is reinvested back into the community.
Natrel, iögo, and OKA
Agropur uses the milk to create the wide range of dairy products and the strong brands that many Canadians love, such as Natrel, iögo, and OKA. You can find these products at most grocery stores across Canada. Dairy is so versatile that there are so many ways to use it. If you are lactose intolerant, Natrel makes lactose-free milk, butter and ice cream too.
Grilled Cheese
Grilled cheese is every kids dream of ooey gooey cheese sandwiched between delicious toasted pieces of bread. I sliced up some OKA cheese and put in deli meats in the centre for a nice bite. I put some mustard on the side for an added tang.
Yogurt Bowls
Yogurt bowls are easy to put together. You pour ïogo yogurt into the bowl and top with your favourite items. I like to add berries, granola, pumpkin seeds and chia seeds for extra texture.
Charcuterie plates
Be the best dinner host by putting together a charcuterie board with cheese, meats, fruits, crisps and pickled items. I used OKA cheese to pair with the salty deli meats. Looks really fancy, but is a breeze to assemble.
How can you help?
Next time when you are browsing the grocery store aisles, take a look at the packaging and see who makes these dairy products. If you see the Agropur logo on items such as Natrel, iögo, and OKA, you will know the purchase of that particular items goes back into the Canadian economy to help our farmers across Canada.
Website: http://www.agropurpride.com/pride/
This blog post was sponsored by Agropur but the opinions are all my own.
