[mustmove]

Originally Posted by joe moving

How does Vermont protect the Vermont brand?

It is some god awful crime in VT to mislabel maple syrup as being from VT. Not that the stuff is any different. The state charged someone with fraud/copyright or some such I don't recall the exact details because their food company(iirc salsa) moved some of its production outside the state. I understand production was moved because they could not find anyone in state capable of doing the job. Never mind that HQ was in VT. The state abusing the little guys as VT is chicken to go after Smoky Mountain Coffee Roasters.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by mustmove

It is some god awful crime in VT to mislabel maple syrup as being from VT. Not that the stuff is any different. The state charged someone with fraud/copyright or some such I don't recall the exact details because their food company(iirc salsa) moved some of its production outside the state. I understand production was moved because they could not find anyone in state capable of doing the job. Never mind that HQ was in VT. The state abusing the little guys as VT is chicken to go after Smoky Mountain Coffee Roasters.

Would that be Green Mountain Gringo Salsa?

from their site FAQ:

"Where is Green Mountain Gringo Located?
Our production facilities are currently located in Winston-Salem, NC."

They were bought out by some NC chip company back in 2004, which has since moved facilities down south. Prior to this, I used to buy GMG salsa all the time. Now I don't. I'd sooner support my neighbors in VT than some corporation in NC.

[mustmove]

That is probably them- I don't recall the details. I have no problem with them moving facilities and I have no problem with folks not buying their product because of it. But to have the state go after people for making victimless choices is lunacy.

[jackmccullough]

It's not victimless. Misrepresenting the point of origin of a product is consumer fraud.

[mustmove]

The labels said where the salsa came from. VT went after them for the product name. That isn't fraud that is ridiculous.

[MRVphotog]

Originally Posted by mustmove

It is some god awful crime in VT to mislabel maple syrup as being from VT. Not that the stuff is any different. The state charged someone with fraud/copyright or some such I don't recall the exact details because their food company(iirc salsa) moved some of its production outside the state. I understand production was moved because they could not find anyone in state capable of doing the job. Never mind that HQ was in VT. The state abusing the little guys as VT is chicken to go after Smoky Mountain Coffee Roasters.

The maple thing your referring to is when a producer was mixing corn syrup with maple syrup. He went to prison deservingly so.

They can make any product they want out of state just don't say it's made in Vermont, as someone with a clue mentioned, it's consumer fraud.

I never ceases to amaze me that you admit that you don't know the details but that doesn't stop you from posting an uninformed comment. Unreal

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by mustmove

That is probably them- I don't recall the details. I have no problem with them moving facilities and I have no problem with folks not buying their product because of it. But to have the state go after people for making victimless choices is lunacy.

The problem is that the GMG company was sold to an NC company; this isn't a case of the original owner moving operations out of state. The new owner deliberately retained the Green Mountain Gringo name in order to cash in on the Vermont association. It is a misrepresentation of product origin as another poster has stated.

Out-of-state consumers associate Vermont products with natural, wholesome, goodness; family-owned farms. I see GMG products on the supermarket shelves on LI -- I would wager many people see Green Mountain on the label and associate the aforementioned postives with the product, unaware that it is being concocted in a large factory in NC.

Buying Vermont made products supports Vermonters. The state might not make it easy for business, but at least it is trying to prevent outsiders from usurping and diminishing the 'quality' many of us have come to associate from Vermont based goods and products.

[mustmove]

What about Green Mountain Coffee Roasters then? They have a roasting facility in TN and bought out a smaller coffee company out West(I believe they retained the name on that one but who knows if supply lines cross.) Should they be banned from selling TN roasted coffee as Green Mountain? Besides coffee beans don't grow in VT so can coffee ever be a VT product? Is it bad to see VT products in NY stores? Why? Mad River Canoes have been made in NC for the last ten years should they be forced to change their name? How many people know there is a real Mad River and it isn't a made up name? It gets silly. We've spent the last ten thousand years expanding trade all around the planet at great human risk to improve our lives and now we should stop interstate commerce? Lunacy.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by mustmove

What about Green Mountain Coffee Roasters then? They have a roasting facility in TN and bought out a smaller coffee company out West(I believe they retained the name on that one but who knows if supply lines cross.) Should they be banned from selling TN roasted coffee as Green Mountain? Besides coffee beans don't grow in VT so can coffee ever be a VT product?

You've answered your own question. Most people are intelligent enough to know coffee beans aren' grown in VT and that the very name of the company implies that they merely roast the beans. In the case of salsa, all salsa products can be grown in Vermont, and in the GMG case, had been grown in VT and the salsa produced in VT

Is it bad to see VT products in NY stores? Why? Mad River Canoes have been made in NC for the last ten years should they be forced to change their name? How many people know there is a real Mad River and it isn't a made up name? It gets silly. We've spent the last ten thousand years expanding trade all around the planet at great human risk to improve our lives and now we should stop interstate commerce? Lunacy.

I never wrote that it is bad to see VT products in NY stores -- how did you jump to that conclusion? I wrote that the people in NY might by GMG salsa with the belief it is produced in VT based upon the name, when in reality it is a NC concoction.

BTW -- did you know that there are companies in Wyoming named Mad River (______)? A river name, or town name (i.e. Springfield) are far more common cross country than the state name. As school children we learn about the various mountain chains: the Green, White, Catskills, Adirondacks, etc. Many people are familiar with where the Green Mountains are, and if they aren't the name Vermont sort of gives it away.

Look at where trade around the globe has gotten us. How many made in the USA products can you find that you purchase on a frequent basis? Look at how much comes from China, and then think about the issues China has with lax regulations concerning chemicals and toxins. The great human risk is in purchasing some of these contaminant laden Chinese goods.

People have come to realize that a Vermont product is a good product. Using the Vermont name to sell a non Vermont product cheapens all things Vermont and will ultimately impact the state's already weakened bottom-line.

[68vette]

If they only moved to Colorado, NC or Ga then they could have kept the name Green Mountain. Each has a Green Mountain as well as businesses named Green Mountain(_________). Just having a little fun.