Which of the following has played a part in the history of Nancy’s Springfield Creamery?

a. The Grateful Dead
b. Huey Lewis
c. The author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
d. Gyuto monks
e. All of the above

Stay tuned for the correct answer . .  .

The story of Springfield Creamery began in 1960. Newlyweds Chuck and Sue Kesey began a family-run business delivering bottles of milk to local creameries and the Springfield schools. As the 60’s moved into the 70’s, the natural-foods movement gained popularity, while the need for milk delivery declined. The Keseys realized that to remain in business, they had to come up with something “unique.”

Their inspiration came from the company bookkeeper, Nancy Hamren. She had been making yogurt at home for years, using her grandmother’s recipe. Chuck, who was interested in the concept of adding cultures such as L. acidophilus to dairy products, modified grandma’s recipe. They called their first commercially produced yogurt Nancy’s Honey Yogurt. It was sold in glass canning jars in health food stores in Eugene, where it was soon in high demand.

The Keseys expanded their yogurt sales to Portland. A friend of theirs, a budding musician who delivered comic books to the San Francisco Bay area, suggested they expand further into the northern California market. Before long, Huey Lewis was carrying both comic books and yogurt packed in ice on his deliveries.

Despite their early success, the Keseys faced financial challenges by the early 70’s. Chuck turned to his brother, well-known author Ken Kesey, for advice. Ken suggested a benefit concert and agreed to talk to some friends of his who played in a popular rock band. More than 20,000 people bought tickets and gathered on a sweltering August afternoon to groove to the music of The Grateful Dead. The funds generated kept the creamery in business.

The business eventually grew to a point where the Keseys knew they needed a larger facility. They bought 10 acres of land near the Eugene airport and built a 20,000-sq-ft plant which they moved into in 1987. They planted conifer trees around the perimeter of the property and set up a greenhouse where they grow flowers to decorate the company offices. Daughter Sheryl and son Kit became company managers and introduced cottage cheese, sour cream, kefir and cultured soy products to the line.

The Kesey’s resilience was severely tested in 1994 when an electrical fire destroyed most of the creamery, shutting down production for three weeks. The creamery produced a limited amount of product in an undamaged building until the main building could be rebuilt. A congregation of Gyuto monks traveled from Asia to bless the new facility in a show of gratitude to the Keseys for sponsoring a fundraiser for construction of a school in India.

In 1996 the Keseys introduced their line of organic dairy products when a consistent supply of organic milk became available. All the milk in Nancy’s products comes from local cows that live within 50 miles of the creamery.

Today, Nancy’s Springfield Creamery is run by four generations of the Kesey family and several employees who have been with the company for over 30 years. Chuck personally tastes each batch of yogurt to make sure it meets his high standards. The Keseys are committed to keeping the company from getting too big and to respecting the environment. They recently added a new 63.5-KW solar electric system that helps power the creamery.

By now you’ve guessed the correct answer to the quiz is “All of the above”.  The next time you buy Nancy’s Springfield Creamery products, keep in mind that it’s on the Co-op’s shelves because of a yogurt-loving grandma, a famous author, two music legends, Gyuto monks and the dedication of a family who believes in healthy living, high quality products and respect for people and the environment.