[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Page 24206]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   RECOGNIZING KATE'S HOMEMADE BUTTER

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, today I recognize Kate's Homemade 
Butter of Old Orchard Beach, ME, a family-owned company whose attention 
to detail and excellence recently earned it the top honors at the World 
Dairy Expo, also known as the Academy Awards of the dairy industry.
  Kate's Homemade Butter is a dairy farm that is recognized worldwide 
for producing slow-churned butter. The recipe for fresh homemade butter 
has been passed down for four generations, dating back to the early 
1900s. In 1981, Daniel Patry, founder and president of Kate's Homemade 
Butter, unleashed his family secret and developed it into an award-
winning, profitable business. In 2005, Daniel's son Lucas joined the 
company to continue a family tradition.
  The Patry family is committed to maintaining the degree of quality 
that originated back in the early 1900s. They have stayed true to their 
grandfather, Alphonse Hemond, who passed down the family secrets to his 
son, Roland Hemond. Daniel Patry, learned the business from his uncle, 
Roland Hemond, making note of textures and tastes, but, most 
critically, realizing that the key to award-winning products is time, 
patience, and diligence. The Patrys ensure that all their ingredients 
come from local farmers so as to maintain the integrity and freshness 
of their world-class dairy.
  After generations of making the butter for friends and family, Mr. 
Patry decided to share this creamy spread with the world. The same 
process for making butter that was used in 1900 is still employed 
today, further proving Kate's Homemade Butter's commitment to quality 
over quantity. In 2006, the Patry family's hard work was rewarded when 
Kate's Homemade Butter won the first of its two gold medals from the 
World Dairy Expo, beating out thousands of entrants from around the 
world!
  Winning their first gold medal in 2006 helped put Kate's Homemade 
Butter on the map in the eyes of national producers and highly esteemed 
culinary circles, including Food & Wine Magazine and Down East 
Magazine. In a move rarely seen at the World Dairy Expo, Kate's won 
again in 2008, achieving a very improbable score of 98.8 out of a 
possible 100. This accomplishment was described as a David versus 
Goliath moment by the Professor Emeritus in the Department of Food 
Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Dr. Robert Bradley, who is 
widely regarded as a pre-eminent industry authority. Dr. Bradley noted, 
``Here you have this relatively small producer in Maine, who, 
literally, makes his butter just in time to give his customers the 
absolute freshest product possible. He comes into the Expo arena this 
year, going up against the biggest names in the business--the largest 
manufacturers in the entire industry--and walks away with a near-
perfect score. The finished product is his passion.''
  So, thank you, Daniel Patry for your passion and commitment to 
excellence at Kate's Homemade Butter and congratulations to you and 
your family on your award-winning product at the World Dairy 
Expo.

                          ____________________