NEW BERLIN – Chobani, which spans its reach now worldwide, has once again found itself thinking local. The Chenango County Historical Society has partnered with Chobani, and the company has committed to a donation in order to help with the society’s latest project. Chobani, which is located in the New Berlin area in upstate New York, has become the nation’s leading seller of Greek yogurt since its opening in 2005.

“We went to various locations around the area and asked for donations. We certainly are grateful to Chobani for their help and everything they have done, we want to share an opportunity for our children in Chenango County. It is nice to have big business give back to the community,” said Joyce Zummo, President of the Chenango County Historical Society board.

The Loomis Barn project hopes to be a future agricultural education center for the Chenango County area. A few years back, the barn was donated to the CCHS by Dick Ridgway. After careful research on the barn, Ridgway determined it may have some historical value and contacted the CCHS. The Chenango County Historical Society then came to check the barn out, and verify its historical significance. Ridgway then contacted a company known as the Barnstormerswood, based out of Gilson, Illinois, to help with the tear down and reconstruction. The Barnstormerswood have since came in and salvaged all the original beams and doors in order to reconstruct the original frame at the new site.

“It is the original barn in the aspect that it is the same beams, barn door and such,” said Cassie Treen, the Community Engagement Manager at Chobani.

CCHS has since had Dave Emerson volunteer to head this project and has relocated the barn to its new site at the Chenango Memorial Museum. At this time many volunteers have been assembled to help refurbish the 1800s-era Loomis Horse Barn as it is an official historic landmark.

“I’ve been involved in countless projects over the years and this has got to be one of the best ones I’ve ever been involved in,” said project director Dave Emerson. The passion and generosity that has driven the Loomis Barn project is unmatched in Emerson’s long experience of involvement in the county, he explained, adding that Chobani has been a great contributor and a wonderful community supporter.

“We’ve seen it ever since they came into the county and it’s nice to see them continue that. In our county, the farmer has never been able to market their product successfully, to its full capacity, and then Chobani came along and started using incredible volumes of locally-sourced dairy and getting it into the bellies of Americans instead of those sugary distractions. It’s just a great thing for agriculture for Chobani to help solve that mystery of marketing and they’re doing it so well.”