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Stewart’s wins back-to-back awards for milk
BY JASON SUBIK Gazette Reporter

    For the second year in a row, Cornell University’s Department of Food Science named Saratoga Springs-based Stewart’s Shops as the dairy processor with the highest quality milk in New York state. Stewarts’ milk was judged best by a panel of experts at the State Fair in Syracuse Monday.
    Stewart’s earned the title with a score of 93.4 after a year of random testing. Upstate Niagara Cooperative of Buffalo earned the silver medal with a score of 92.5.
    Marguerite Petit, director of quality assurance for Stewart’s Shops, said her company is pleased to have taken the state title two years in a row, and three of the last four years.
    “We have high standards for our farms. We have high standards for ourselves,” she said. “We see it day in and day out, our milk products hold up well past code. The fresh milk that we get is from our farms and within 48 hours it’s in the shops. You don’t see that in very many places.”
    Last year Stewart’s scored a perfect 100 and beat out Wendt’s Dairy of Niagara Falls which came in second with a score of 94.4 after posting a perfect 100 in 2004. Wendt’s fell out of the top five this year.
    “Believe it or not the guys were pretty disappointed we didn’t get a perfect 100 again,” Petit said. “There aren’t a lot of perfect 100s scored, it’s not an easy testing process.”
    The annual contest is part of the New York State Milk Quality Improvement Program, based at Cornell and sponsored by the New York Milk Promotion Order. Kathryn Boor, a professor of food science at Cornell and the program’s director, said milk producers allowed milk to be taken at unannounced visits from their dairy plants from July 1, 2007 to June 30 in order to qualify for this year’s contest.
    More than 300 milk samples were collected and nearly 3,000 tests were run to determine the winners. The milk was first examined when it was received and again 14 days later, near the sell-by date. Microbiological and chemical tests were performed, and a specially trained panel of “milk lovers” tasted each sample and scored it based on flavor and stability during shelf life as well as butterfat content and bacterial counts within the milk’s sell-by date.
    Boor said since Cornell began ranking the top five producers in 1997 the competition has helped the Milk Quality Improvement Program’s goal of spurring higher quality production practices throughout New York’s milk production industry.
    “We can chart, in general, the increased scores throughout the state. In New York state we have our dairy plants competing with each other for bragging rights,” Boor said.
    With that said, the top scores from the 19 plants participating in the contest this year were slightly down from last year when the second place score would have beaten this year’s top two finishers. Boor said that doesn’t usually happen.
    “The testing hasn’t changed, it’s just exquisitely rigorous. To get a 100 is, well we didn’t even think it would be possible when we set up the criteria originally. Then we were blown away when Stewarts achieved that last year,” she said.
    Petit said Stewart’s will likely incorporate its back-to-back fi rst place finish into the company’s marketing and advertising campaigns.
    Another local dairy, Midland Farms Dairy in Menands, came in third place this year. Byrne Dairy of Syracuse and Hillcrest Dairy or Moravia placed fourth and fifth respectively.     

Can't argue with this one.  It's the only milk we drink.

Me too!

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Stewart’s takes the gold in milk race

    All businesses like to brag about their accomplishments, how different they are from their competitors, how much better their products. And many times their claims are dubious or exaggerated, the creative stuff of marketers. But in the case of Stewart’s Shops, a little bragging is entirely justified, because the company has just achieved something of genuine note: Its milk was judged best in the state by a panel of experts for the second straight year.
    The annual contest, based at Cornell University, is part of the New York State Milk Quality Improvement program, and it’s credited with doing just that: improving the quality of milk in the state. Nineteen processors participated this year, with their milk judged on the basis of such measures as flavor, stability and bacterial counts. Samples were taken during unannounced visits to the plant and to retail outlets.
    The contest has encouraged high standards not just on the part of the milk processors, but on the part of the local dairy farmers from whom they get their raw product. This local connection not only is good for New York agriculture, it allows Stewart’s and the other dairies, like Midland Farms in Menands and Byrne of Syracuse (which placed third and fourth respectively this year), to get the milk on shelves faster, ensuring freshness.
    Stewart’s has come a long way and grown a lot since its beginnings as Dake’s Delicious Ice Cream in 1921. Its reach now extends from Plattsburgh to Newburgh, Watertown to Rutland. It sells a whole lot of milk and ice cream (which is still delicious) and coffee, as well as such things as fresh chili, soup and macaroni and cheese. In many communities it fills the role of coffee shop and local gathering place. And it retains the loyalty and industriousness of employees with an enlightened policy that gives them stock ownership in the company and a share of the profits.
    Everthing is not perfect with Stewart’s. It seems you can’t go into one of their stores without getting stuck behind someone buying lottery tickets, and some of its stores and parking lots take up more space than is necessary.
    Overall, though, Stewart’s deserves recognition and appreciation. It has become a big, successful chain, but one that has managed to retain its local roots and flavor. Kind of like its milk.

Yes I grew up on Perky Milk and Perky 2

Though I like Stewart's milk, I prefer that from Meadow Brook Farms Dairy in Clarksville.
The dairy products (milk, cream, egg nog, half and half) are hormone-free and available
in glass bottles (deposit required).  They are delivered by the farmer and staff in old milk
trucks from years gone by.  The price is a bit higher than that of milk from the grocery stores
and convenience stores, but the taste of Meadow Brooks milk is superior.  Besides, I like to
think that I am supporting a local family farm.  If you haven't tried it, you can purchase it at
many local farm stands/stores in the area including the Carrot Barn (Schoharie), Gade Farm
(Guilderland), and Western Turnpike Deli (Duanesburg).

That said, Congrats to Stewarts, another local success story.

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The dairy products (milk, cream, egg nog, half and half) are hormone-free and available
in glass bottles (deposit required).

Brad thanks for this information. I have 2 granddaughters, one is 9 and the other is 11. They are both dealing with 'female issues' way too early in their young lives. The pediatricians say it is from the hormones not just in the milk but in the hormone fed meat that they eat. It makes me sad and angry at the same time.

I dont like milk----but,,,,,I loooooove ice cream, cheese, sour cream etc........

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I dont like milk----but,,,,,I loooooove ice cream, cheese, sour cream etc........

Ribs and ice cream for everyone!

In addition to having great milk, Stewart's is a great community partner...they advertise/donate to/with just about everyone who asks them.   When I was involved in scouting, Stewart's donated 80% of all the goods used for EVERY camping trip.  It wasn't a huge expense, but it was very generous of them.  And congrats on the milk!

I will say one thing about Stewart's employees....They are all great! I have NEVER gone into a Stewarts where the employees were not on the ball, curtious and helpful. They sure know how to pick them.

I agree.  I like to get Stewart's milk also, although I will settle for Cumby's sometimes.

I applied at Stewart's once.....has anyone ever seen their application???? It is 4 pages.....and THEN they send you for a test......if a person cant make the
effort in the application then they must not be worthy of Stewarts.......This system works well......