Inducted: 2019
Rich Stammer’s work for the past half-century honors farm families and the cooperatives that serve their needs. Inspired by farmers’ values and commitment to family, Stammer’s tenure at Cabot Creamery Cooperative focused on programs that served to strengthen the communities in which the farmers lived and sold their products. Recognizing this as a fundamental co-op commitment, he encouraged the development of consumer brand programs that celebrate and reward volunteerism. For more than three decades he also provided leadership for a marketing strategy built around Co-op Principles 6 & 7 and designed for partnerships with the cross-sector cooperative community.
In the dairy industry, Stammer has been respected as a pioneering, pro-active problem-solver on business practices that benefit both cooperatives and the entire dairy industry. He had the vision to tell the story of the economic, social and environmental contributions of dairy farms that earned Cabot the first US dairy cooperative B-Corp certification.
Stammer has been a leader in developing regional, national and international strategies related to dairy policy and pricing, international trade relations, and national marketing efforts. A believer in the power of collaboration, he has always looked for ways to share strategies that delivered solutions for all farmers and his farmers’ brands.