Stop by the Outlet and sample some of the new items on the shelves. Colette Johnson, who distributes Iowa Natural Soy Oil, is now also marketing Iowa granola, barbecue sauce, herb mixes and dips at the Outlet.

We also have some new cheeses at both stores: Lemon & Garlic Fromage Blanc, a soft cheese between cream cheese and Feta; and Parma Blue Persuasion, a delicious Parmesan inoculated with blue cheese culture. Both cheeses are from Springville, Iowa.

We've had more customers who have found $5.00 behind their milk jug label: Virginia Platte, Waterloo; Brenda Kruse, Waterloo; Kim Zahari, Cedar Falls; Dale and Amy Barglof, Waterloo; Chad Hollingsworth; Teresa Bultsma, Cedar Falls; and Laura Sweeney, Cedar Falls.

We're still looking for the Big Prize Winner - $800! Spread the word!

Leah is April's Cow of the Month. She is 2 years old and just had her first calf on Feb. 23. Leah is special because she is the first true Red and White Holstein to be milked here. We began breeding some of our cows to Red and White bulls about six years ago. It takes patience and luck to finally have a full-blooded Red and White cow in a milking parlor full of Black and White Holsteins!

Leah really stands out, in more ways than one. On her first test day, she produced 72 pounds of milk, which is pretty good for a first-timer. She has a good build and should stick around for a long time.

We are pleased to announce that the Westby 4% Small Curd Cottage Cheese placed first in the 2010 World Championship Cheese Contest in Madison, Wis. Their 2% placed 6th. We sell these products at both of our stores. Try some today!

We are looking for some people who are truly interested in working for a small family operation. We'd like employees who believe in working hard and taking pride in their work. New employees in our stores must learn about our products, be able to answer questions, have a pleasant personality to serve our customers and be able to work some nights and weekends. Help is also needed promoting our products in the community, working in the creamery on the farm and giving tours.

If you're interested, please call 319-939-2187 or e-mail info@hansendairy.com.

We are fortunate to have local farmers who are conscientious about the care of their animals and will sell the meat to our customers. Buying local supports our neighbors. The following people would appreciate a call to answer questions and take orders.

Groothuis Farms, Nashua: Eggs, chicken and lamb. Turkey, duck and geese are available in the fall. Call Craig or Darlene at 231-0476.

John and Barb Puff, Oelwein: Goat meat, goat cheese and goat milk soap. They don't use any antibiotics or hormones. Call 563-920-8637.

Dennis and Jen Deppe, Waverly: Purebred Angus beef in whole, halves or quarters. Cattle are family-raised and without hormones. They also raise Duroc pork, excellent quality available in halves. Call Dennis at 239-1824 or Jen at 939-3259.

Interest continues to grow as more evidence is showing that CLA helps with fat loss and cancer prevention. Studies are being done on both mice and pigs to determine the reduction of body fat and increase in lean tissue by supplementing CLA. A study (published by the Journal of Nutrition, Dec. 99) revealed CLA could be a potent cancer preventive agent in animal models.

So what does this have to do with dairy? CLA is found naturally in the fat of ruminant animals, like dairy cows. It is found in the milkfat, which means whole milk will have a higher CLA content than skim milk.

CLA in foods (mg/gram of fat):

Fresh ground beef - 4.3; veal - 2.7; lamb - 5.6; pork - 0.6; chicken - 0.9; fresh ground turkey - 2.5

Parmesan - 3.0; Colby - 6.1; Mozzarella - 4.9; Cottage - 4.5; Ricotta - 5.6

Homogenized milk - 5.5, butter - 4.7; sour cream - 4.6; plain yogurt - 4.8

Safflower oil - 0.7; sunflower oil - 0.4; peanut oil - 0.2; olive oil - 0.2

Other facts about CLA:

CLA is as much as 5x higher in milk when cows are fed predominantly ryegrass or natural pasture.

Cheeses are very high in CLA.

Informational websites:

www.eatwild.com/cla.html

www.vitaminlady.com/articles/CLA.asp

www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Nov99/CancerButterCL A.bpf.html

www.lef.org/prod_hp/abstracts/php-ab153