NEW BERLIN – Chobani, which spans its reach now worldwide, has once again found itself thinking local. The Chenango County Historical Society has partnered with Chobani, and the company has committed to a donation in order to help with the society’s latest project. Chobani, which is located in the New Berlin area in upstate New York, has become the nation’s leading seller of Greek yogurt since its opening in 2005.
“We went to various locations around the area and asked for donations. We certainly are grateful to Chobani for their help and everything they have done, we want to share an opportunity for our children in Chenango County. It is nice to have big business give back to the community,” said Joyce Zummo, President of the Chenango County Historical Society board.
The Loomis Barn project hopes to be a future agricultural education center for the Chenango County area. A few years back, the barn was donated to the CCHS by Dick Ridgway. After careful research on the barn, Ridgway determined it may have some historical value and contacted the CCHS. The Chenango County Historical Society then came to check the barn out, and verify its historical significance. Ridgway then contacted a company known as the Barnstormerswood, based out of Gilson, Illinois, to help with the tear down and reconstruction. The Barnstormerswood have since came in and salvaged all the original beams and doors in order to reconstruct the original frame at the new site.
“It is the original barn in the aspect that it is the same beams, barn door and such,” said Cassie Treen, the Community Engagement Manager at Chobani.
CCHS has since had Dave Emerson volunteer to head this project and has relocated the barn to its new site at the Chenango Memorial Museum. At this time many volunteers have been assembled to help refurbish the 1800s-era Loomis Horse Barn as it is an official historic landmark.
“I’ve been involved in countless projects over the years and this has got to be one of the best ones I’ve ever been involved in,” said project director Dave Emerson. The passion and generosity that has driven the Loomis Barn project is unmatched in Emerson’s long experience of involvement in the county, he explained, adding that Chobani has been a great contributor and a wonderful community supporter.
“We’ve seen it ever since they came into the county and it’s nice to see them continue that. In our county, the farmer has never been able to market their product successfully, to its full capacity, and then Chobani came along and started using incredible volumes of locally-sourced dairy and getting it into the bellies of Americans instead of those sugary distractions. It’s just a great thing for agriculture for Chobani to help solve that mystery of marketing and they’re doing it so well.”
"I am so happy Chobani is able to support the Loomis Barn Project because it is important to our community and an educational and historical place for everyone to visit," said Chobani Foundation President Ruma Bose.
The Loomis Barn will provide the youth of the area with an eye-opening educational experience in an area which has so much history in agriculture. Once completed, the Chenango Historical Society Museum will be having many exhibits which will hope to give kids a hands-on look at how food was made hundreds of years before they were born. The Loomis Barn exhibits will house a number of educational agricultural exhibits, including antique farm equipment as well as a section about Chobani as a part of a piece on modern agriculture.
“We will have one permanent horse stall, because what is a horse barn without a horse stable, and then we will have all the other exhibits rotate in and out around the barn,” said Zummo.
As noted above, Chobani has most recently gotten involved as they have donated 5,000 dollars towards the project, as they help promote the agricultural history and future of Chenango County.
“Chobani loves to get an opportunity to help in a way to teach about agriculture. This is really such a great opportunity for the youth in Chenango County. Students in the area get an educational experience to learn about the community, agriculture and just to really see where their food truly comes from,” said Treen.
In the coming months, the Loomis Barn project is finally nearing completion after years of hard work. At this time there is only one full-time paid position and two part-time positions at the CCHS Museum. Therefore, volunteers have been key to the success and completion thus far of the barn. At this point in time around 3,000 volunteer hours have been put into the reconstruction and refurbishment of the historical site.
The Loomis Barn will officially open to the public at its Grand Opening event which will be on September 26, 2015. There will be entertainment, hands on exhibits for the children, along with refreshments, music and tours of the barn and exhibits. All are welcome to attend this event free of charge.
“There is a feeling when you step on this campus that there is really something special going on here. We hope to see all our volunteers, workers, sponsors like Chobani, and many others, along with anyone and everyone in the community to come check out this great site,” said Zummo.