Noosa’s plant and office (right) are located next to Morning Fresh Dairy Farm in Bellvue, Colorado.
courtesy of noosa yoghurt

Hometown flavor

Costco yogurt supplier Noosa focuses on quality, unique flavor and sustainable practices

by dan jones

One taste was all it took to change Koel Thomae’s life. The supply chain manager and operations consultant—an Aussie who’d been living in Colorado—was delighted by the velvety texture and fresh fruit flavor of a yogurt she discovered while visiting her hometown of Noosa, Australia, in 2007.

The yogurt so impressed her that two years later she worked out an agreement for the licensing of the recipe with the family that made it.

With the recipe in hand, Thomae sought a business partner to form the brand Noosa. She found Rob Graves, a fifth-generation farmer at Morning Fresh Dairy in Bellvue, Colorado. After sampling the yogurt, Graves says he was immediately sold as well. By 2009, the two were selling Noosa, using whole milk from Graves’ family’s cows.

Morning Fresh Dairy plays a key role in Noosa’s success. The yogurt begins with milk straight from the dairy. To ensure that it’s as wholesome as it can be, the farm grows alfalfa and grain to feed to its cows. The animals are housed in sand-bedded free-stall barns and corrals where they have space to roam freely while staying clean and dry. The barns feature dropping side panels that are used on cold, windy days to keep the cows warm, and on the hot days, fans are turned on and the panels are rolled up to make it cooler.

Every batch of yogurt is infused with a touch of wildflower honey for a unique, lightly sweetened taste, and Noosa works with partners around the country to secure the fruits that go into the yogurt.

After 36 quality assurance tests—including for consistency, texture and the amount of fruit purée and cultures—each batch is ready to be shipped.

It all adds up to make a yogurt worth trying.

“When your cows are happy and content, they produce a richer, creamier milk,” Graves explains. “We just take extra care—and I enjoy the heck out of making yogurt.”

---