Greek yogurt has been one of the big agriculture success stories of the last decade for New York—just ask Chuck Schumer—and yet Chobani, the biggest name in local greek yogurt, isn't opening its newest plant in the Empire State. Nope. Instead the company is opening a new plant in Idaho. One that is four times the size of the plant in New Berlin, New York. What gives?
Part of it is that our local cows just can't quite produce enough milk to match the demand. After all it takes roughly three pounds of milk to make one pound of Chobani yogurt! Here in New York plants making Chobani and Fage use fifty or more tanker trucks of milk a day in each of their plants! And off in Idaho the land is cheaper for dairy farmers to expand their herds.
Another reason why Chobani is opening up in the Northwest? Because the company wants to target health-conscious customers on the left coast as "There is definitely room to grow" there. At least they aren't leaving us entirely, so we'll always have a chance of another giant yogurt spill.
