Profile: Gary Hirschberg
Gary Hirshberg: Environmentally aware and business-savvy, he is responsible for
bringing us Stonyfield Farm yogurt. But it's not just our breakfast and snacking
needs he's trying to satisfy...he also seeks to fill people's heads with knowledge
of environmental issues. And thank goodness for that.
Profile: Gary Hirschberg
On a Mission with Stonyfield Farm Yogurt
Spending a few minutes with Gary Hirshberg is like eating cold ice cream on a hot day. He’s pure refreshment. And 100% organic. A longtime environmentalist, Hirshberg happened upon a great yogurt recipe back in 1983 at his small organic farming school in New Hampshire. His coup as an entrepreneur was turning that recipe into a $90 million company under the guise of his deeper mission: environmental education. Take a look at the lid of any Stonyfield Farm yogurt container and you’ll see a clever environmental message like “Let’s Put a Lid on Global Warming” or “Make Your Voice ‘Cow’nt’ for Organic Standards.”
Hirshberg is an ardent supporter of sustainable agriculture. “One of our most tangible accomplishments to date,” he comments, “is the conversion of 80 farms from conventional to organic farming.” Another of his objectives is to inspire huge multinational corporations to follow his lead. “I want to show them that you can make more money by incorporating environmentally responsible practices into the fabric of what you do,” he says. This is why Stonyfield recently partnered with $12.7 billion conglomerate Group Danone, makers of Dannon yogurt and other well-known brands. The partnership expands Stonyfield’s environmental mission.
Hirshberg also knows that the future of the planet is in the hands of our children. “Kids don’t necessarily choose food for its organic attributes,” he admits. “But if it’s delicious, then there’s no compromise. And we can help them understand that as an organic producer, there’s a whole range of things we do that is kinder to animals and the planet than conventional producers.” Hirshberg’s broad vision inspired Stonyfield’s “Yo Baby” and other yogurt products specifically for children. “We can help children to have a greater appreciation earlier,” he says, “which will allow greater change to happen in their lifetimes, even greater than what’s happened in ours.”
Gary Hirshberg, environmentalist-turned-CEO of the Stonyfield Farm organic yogurt company, is said to feed a version of this shake to his kids nearly every morning. It’s simple, creamy, and easily drinkable. Use a hand-held stick blender to whip this up in seconds, then just rinse off the stick. No fuss, no muss! (Makes 1 serving)
Ingredients:
1 container (6 ounces) organic low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup organic orange juice
1 small banana
Directions
In a blender, combine the yogurt, orange juice, and banana. Blend until smooth and frothy, 30 seconds.
Helping Hand: If you make this shake a regular habit, stock a large (32-ounce) container of yogurt in the fridge, then scoop out about 3/4 cup each time you whip up the shake. For a crowd, you can easily double or triple the recipe. Use flavored yogurt if you like. Vanilla and strawberry work well. You can also doctor it up with ground spices like cinnamon or use different juices such as pineapple.
What is yogurt but cultured milk
anyway? The yogurt makes deliciously crisp waffles with a moist, fluffy interior. Pour pure maple syrup into the
nooks and crannies, or top with fresh fruit. (Makes approximately four 8" waffles)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup organic 2% milk
3/4 cup (4 ounces) organic yogurt
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon sugar
Directions:
In a big bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt.
Separate the eggs, putting the whites into a small bowl and the yolks into another small bowl. Whisk
the milk, yogurt, and oil into the yolks. Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture until moist yet still
lumpy.
Beat the egg whites with a mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Increase to high, add the sugar and beat
until stiff peaks form when the beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes. Fold the egg whites into the batter just
until the whites are almost incorporated (fold gently to avoid deflating the whipped whites).
Coat the waffle iron with spray oil and scoop about one-fourth of batter onto the grids, spreading
gently. Close the lid and cook until the steam is almost gone and the tops are golden. Lift the waffle from
the iron with a fork. Re-oil the grids and repeat with the remaining batter. Helping Hand: For richer waffles (yum!), use 1/4 cup oil
and 1/4 cup melted butter in place of the 1/2 cup oil. To keep waffles warm, set your oven to 225ºF and place the
waffles directly on the oven rack. If you have leftover waffles, cool them completely then freeze in a zipper-lock
bag for up to 6 months. Reheat in a toaster or in a 325ºF oven.
Grilled Fruit Wraps with Gingered Yogurt Dip
Ingredients
4 thick slices fresh or canned pineapple
2 bananas, peeled
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup organic vanilla yogurt
2 teaspoons minced crystallized ginger
4 flour tortillas (8" diameter)
Directions:
Arrange one-fourth of the fruit filling on a tortilla and roll up, folding the short sides over the filling
first, and then rolling over the long sides to completely enclose. Secure at the seam with a toothpick and coat
all over with spray oil. Grill seam-side down until golden, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Carefully turn over and grill
other side until golden. Let cool slightly, cut in half, and serve with the yogurt sauce for dipping. Helping Hand: Be sure to scrape your grill rack clean.
Charred steak flavor doesn’t go well here. Look for minced crystallized ginger in jars in your grocery store’s
spice aisle. Or buy sliced crystallized ginger in bags at your health food store, and then mince before using.
1 3/4 cups whole-grain pastry flour or unbleached flour
Preheat a waffle iron.
The raw heat of the grill caramelizes the sugar in these fruits and creates
incredible flavor. These can be eaten out of hand once they cool off a bit. (Makes four servings)
2 ripe nectarines, halved and pitted
Coat a grill rack with spray oil and preheat the grill to medium. Place the halved nectarines, pineapple
slices and peeled bananas directly on the grill rack. Grill until soft and seared on both sides, 3-4 minutes
per side (slightly less for the banana if it’s very ripe), using a spatula to turn over. Chop the fruit and drain
any accumulated juices into a small bowl. Scrape the fruit into another bowl. Stir the sugar and pumpkin pie spice
into the fruit. Stir the yogurt and ginger into the accumulated juices.