WHEN BEN MET JERRY

Aug 1

Hey there Campers;

What a great day to wake up. We are leaving today for Canada again. We must pass through Vermont.

The sign for the state of Vermont was so faded we almost missed it.

The countryside is green and luscious. I which we had some of this in Cally. Oh the winter rain is coming soon. Pray for rain.

When Lo was mapping our way to Montreal he saw that we were going to pass through Waterbury. If you do not know this is the headquarters for the Ben & Jerry Ice Cream factory. So you know he decided we would definitely have to stop.

This is a very interesting place. Ben Kohn and Jerry Greenville were childhood friends and went on to college together. After graduation they were trying to decide what they were going to do with their lives. They both loved ice cream and wanted to do something with this. They decided to take a $5 correspondence course on ice cream-making. They started in a renovated gas station. The business started May 5, 1978. (What a great day to start a business because it was our anniversary day.)

 

They decided to take their show on the road and bought a used RV and named it the Cowmobile. They wanted people to know and buy their ice creams. They drove all over the nation and gave out free samples. The Cowmobile burned to the ground on their way back home. This really put them in the news.

Ben & Jerry have a non-traditional and caring approach to business. They believe in Fair Trade and use mostly local or state grown items as must as possible. The company does a lot of community work. They will shut the plant down to do this.

  

In 2000, Ben & Jerry sold the company to Unilever Co. with an understanding nothing would change. This meant keeping the same philosophy and community work.

 

Facts

• Ben & Jerry are still friends today. They both live in the Burlington area. (Next city up the freeway)
• Both still work with community activities
• No pics can be taken once the tour starts. They don't want Haggen Dawgson spies to record anything. (This was said to us in jest).
• Company supports family farms.
•  Farmers have to sign a pledge that they will not use artificial hormones or pesticides on the products sold to the company.
•  Ice cream starts with a base that is kept in 6 5,000 gallons tanks.
• Factory reminds one of the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory. Where are the Umpa Lumpas?
• There are up to 6,000 kinds of ice creams made.
• Each ice cream will go through 6 stations before being packaged.
• The final stage is the Flash room. It is -40 degree. This makes the ice cream harder for shipping.
• The sample flavor of the day was Cotton Candy.
•  There is a hall of the 10 top flavors.  
  

  

They have kept the original flavor lab. They rotate employees since they don't want them to have high cholesterol.

They have a fridge of the new flavors.

We were told that there is a flavor graveyard. These are for flavors that have been retired.

Here are some of the flavors. Sorry if yours is listed.

 

 

Lo got a pint to take with us.

We continue on to Canada. The line between Canada and the US if a forest. Seems like people could just walk through it. So why aren't there guards and a wire fence at this border. Hmmmm. Can we spell U-N-F-A-I-R to our neighbors to the south. Ok enough politics.

 

 In Canada again.

Friday Commute traffic Montreal style. No comparison to SF, NYC or LA.

 

We found our regular hotel and parked for the night.

Angie & April, Lo tried the Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Rota Farms still on top. 2 more points for you.

Question of the Day

What is your favor Ben & Jerry flavor?

Bonus question

Are you smarter than a 5th grader? Well what does this store sign translate to?

Well, until the next time Campers......

Lo & Bren