We are happy to announce that we’ve chosen our 2020 Brand Advocates. Our advocates consist of parents, foodies, athletes, and bloggers from across the US. They are fueled by a sense of purpose and are committed to a healthy lifestyle. We are excited to share their journey with you!
Meet our 2020 Kalona SuperNatural Brand Advocates!
Ally
Hi there! My name is Ally Billhorn and I’m a wife, mama, daughter, sister, and friend. I grew up in small-town Toledo, Iowa and have stayed in Iowa my whole life, hopping around here and there. For the last 9 years, my family has settled in Wilton.
I graduated from college with an Electronic Media and Journalism degree. After working for large companies and small, I then went on to have three babies in five years, thus turning myself into a stay-at-home-working-mom. I started my food blog, Ally’s Sweet & Savory Eats when my youngest was just 3 months old, back in 2009. Much to my surprise it brought out my love of writing and cooking and connecting with my readers. It is now a major part of my life, keeping me on my toes with major national brands, foods, and trends.
I’m also in love with great television, coffee with heavy cream, long walks, all forms of Italian food, craft beers, podcasts, and my friends. I try to read a few books a month and I’ve found that goes much quicker if I’ve planted my butt on a deck chair by a lake. The Iowa Hawkeyes reign supreme and when bored or stressed you’ll find me in the kitchen whipping up a batch of my famous banana bread.
Kalona Supernatural products hold a dear place in my heart. I’ve seen their operations with my own eyes and I cannot think of a better product to feed my family. Their chocolate milk is our favorite! Please connect with me on all my social channels – I actually respond!
Amy
Hey guys! My name is Amy Frank and I am from Dallas, Texas. I have been married to amazing husband TJ going on 5 years now. We have two beautiful kiddos, Kingston (3) & Kennedy (2), who are 17 months apart. Needless to say, they keep me on my toes! However, as crazy as it may be at times, I always find time to work out and stay active. I get up every weekday morning at 5 am (before the kids wake up) to lift weights and run. We also try to make time for walks to the park when the crazy Texas weather allows. Pushing 60+ pounds in a stroller can definitely be a good workout in itself! Growing up, I always had a constant battle with the scale and counting calories. I would workout 2-3 HOURS a day and try to survive off of rice cakes and the lowest cal things I could get my hands on. It took some time, but I finally realized that there is a healthy balance between the two.
I first discovered Kalona SuperNatural when I was looking for good cottage cheese, and let me tell you, theirs by far is the best! I like it with my tuna, or I will put it with diced tomatoes and avocado with a dash of salt and pepper for a snack, blend it with my scrambled eggs, the list goes on. All in all, I am so happy to continue to be a part of their Brand Advocate program because I truly love and believe in their products!
Carlee
Hi! I’m Carlee and I love to cook. I am a busy mom that loves to make family-friendly recipes. A lot of my recipes are from scratch, but I do throw in a shortcut here and there.
My degree is in chemistry and after working in an environmental lab for 10 years I started working as the environmental coordinator for my small town. It is a rewarding field that keeps me on the move. My food blog, Cooking With Carlee, was started on a whim back at the beginning of 2015. I wanted to collect old favorite recipes from my grandmas and other family members while I still had the chance. What started as a way to preserve family recipes and share them with my cousins has morphed into something so much more. It is a family affair. My husband and son are taste testers in chief. They let me know when something is just right or if I need to go back to the drawing board. My son is also my sous chef. He loves to help in any way he can.
While I consider myself a cook at heart, I tend to cook by feeling and not measurement. So while you will find plenty of meals on my site, desserts seem to reign supreme. I have a deep-seated love for playing with frosting and can never have too many recipes. There are so many flavors, textures and techniques to try!
My family and I think it is important to support small and local businesses whenever we have the chance. Being from a smaller more rural community in Illinois, we can see the impacts of our choices. We enjoy supporting our local CSA and buying handmade and small-batch items when possible.
Kalona SuperNatural’s mission supports so many of the values we hold dear. In fact, the yogurt was one of my son’s very first foods. I love that I could show up on their doorstep in less than a two-hour drive. I love the wholesome minimally processed products and how the cream rises to the top!
Please connect with me on all my social channels – I would love to hear from you!
Crystal
Hello! My name is Crystal, and I’ve always thought I was born in the wrong time period- give me a wood-burning oven, spinning wheel, and butter churn, please! I have always desired to live close to the land. A quaint home, an orchard, a barn, a root cellar, and a garden bigger than most homes; this is the stuff my dreams are made of! I grew up in the woods of Wisconsin building forts and catching bugs, climbing towering pines, and picking wild blackberries. I had always helped my parents in the garden, but it wasn’t until I learned to cook in college that I really started to appreciate the incredible food coming from our own backyard!
Now, I live with my fiancé Karl on our 19-acre homestead. We live off the land as much as we can, growing a large vegetable garden and a fruit orchard with everything from raspberries and elderberries to antique apple varieties, and more uncommon fruits like Aronia and seaberries. We grow mushrooms, nuts, medicinal plants, and even make our own maple syrup! We raise chickens and honey bees and have dreams of raising pigs and sheep one day. Since I don’t have my own milk cow, I’m really thankful for Kalona SuperNatural dairy products- especially the sour cream, it’s my absolute favorite!
It is really important to me to eat the highest quality, most nutrient-dense food that I can. When I’m not homesteading, I work as a Chiropractor. I have practiced Chiropractic with an emphasis on natural medicine for over ten years. It’s an incredible gift to be able to help someone struggling with their health, full of despair and feeling defeated, to become well again. Almost all of the extraordinary improvements I see in my office have come largely in part from helping people improve their diets. Seeing on a daily basis how diet plays such a profound role in our health led me to want to eat only the healthiest, most amazing food. Kalona SuperNatural dairy is something I feel really good about eating and recommending to others!
For me, growing my own food is grounding, it makes me feel connected and whole. And eating real food made from healthy ingredients is at the center of my life. I love to cook, and I love sharing our lives and recipes on Instagram and through my blog. I have always believed that eating better food and centering our diets around organic fruits, vegetables, pastured meat, and dairy, has the ability to change our world for the better- and this is what I hope to inspire!
Jaime
Lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Colorado. She is a passionate cook and loves sharing her food on Instagram. Originally from the Midwest, she grew up on a farm and showed horses. Her parents still live there with cows, horses, goats, chickens, and the list goes on. This upbringing has taught her to value supporting the best quality products from local farmers. Kalona SuperNatural Organic Whipping Cream is her favorite ingredient!
Jaime is her local farmers’ market ambassador and has great relationships with the chefs in Boulder County and beyond. As a personal chef, she enjoys preparing healthy meals but her specialty is comfort food and pies. She grew up in a South Bend Bakery, so go figure!?
Her Food and Travel can be followed on Instagram!
Jared
Hey there, I’m Jared. I’m a big-time foodie and I fully believe flavor comes from quality. I’m excited to be a part of the Kalona SuperNatural clan, cause as we all know this stuff is QUALITY! I grew up in the south with a food lovin’ mama. She had a restaurant for most of my childhood and early adult life so I grew up in the kitchen. Southern food can sometimes be a little heavy… or a lot… so now I take all of that awesome southern influence and turn it into low-carb, keto-friendly treats and meals. Kalona fits perfectly into my low carb life and I’m excited to be a part of this!
Jene
Hello, my name is Jene’. I am 34 years old, wife & a mother of two precious little boys. I’m From Augusta, Georgia. I have a passion for working with people who want to get fit and change their lifestyle to be healthier. I am a competitive bodybuilder & have been a Certified Personal Trainer for the past 8 years, currently training at the gyms on fort Riley, Kansas. I have a specialization in nutrition, group training, & corrective exercise. I’ve been into health for about 10 years now, I overhauled my own eating habits almost 2 years ago completely to only whole foods, mostly organic and cut out anything artificial in a journey to heal my gut and hormones. I use Kalona SuperNatural products because they are pure, no fillers, no gums, and clean! I also love rock climbing, adventure and doing fun new things!
Jessica
My name is Jessica. I’m a wife and mom of two- 7 & 14. I am what my husband calls a “domestic engineer” since I stay home and the kids are in school. We live in a small Texas town outside of Dallas. I restarted my health journey the day before my birthday in 2018. I am still currently enjoying the ketogenic lifestyle but do not track or weigh my food. I eat as clean and natural as possible and make most things from scratch. I have a thirst for knowledge and research & that is how I found Kalona! I’m so thankful to come across the Kalona SuperNatural brand. It’s so hard to find products without gums and fillers! Kalona SuperNatural is a brand I feel great about giving to my family.
I am a huge coffee lover! I’m always recreating the sugary coffee drinks I used to love from the coffee shops and creating new drinks that fit into my clean eating lifestyle. My daily coffee is anything but boring!
I’m looking forward to including more Kalona products into our lifestyle this upcoming year.
Jill
Heya friends. I’m Jill – a recovering-CEO turned lifestyle blogger and an ultra-organized list maker. Here are five more fun facts about me:
1. I live in Denver, CO. I grew up in Florida but after spending 20+ years in Ohio (before moving to CO), I consider myself a Midwest girl.
2. I started my blog grownupdish.com in May 2018 because I didn’t see much representation of people my age in the food and health/wellness space. I want to change that!
3. My love of food runs deep. I’m usually cleaning up from one meal and thinking about what I’m going to make next. I read cookbooks for fun. I love trying new recipes, entertaining and (yes even) meal prepping. Now that I’m firmly ensconced in middle age, I’m always looking for ways to make something quick, healthy and delicious. I believe in eating REAL food. I discovered Kalona Supernatural about five years ago and it’s the only dairy I like to use. I love that it’s organic, grass-fed, minimally processed and that it tastes great!
4. I met my hubby Paul on Match.com. It was the perfect combination of luck and fate and finding him made me believe in second chances. I’m a proud mom to two grown sons and two stepsons who are scattered around the globe in London, Kuwait and the U.S. And I’m gonna be a grandma in 2019!
5. I have more interests than time. Traveling is my jam and I love exploring the world and trying new foods. I also enjoy movies, cooking, reading, dancing, gardening, knitting, memory keeping, photography, hiking, biking and more. I thought that when I stopped working full-time I’d have more time to pursue my many hobbies, but I’m finding that I’m busier than ever. How does that happen?
Lace
Hi, My name is Lace, I am 11 years old, I have one older brother his name is Riland and I have lots of pets, 2 dogs, 2 lovebirds, 1 cat, 7 chickens and a wild moose we get to be friends with. I live in Park City, Utah. I am homeschooled and love to cook. My mom and dad are what people call health freaks so I have been told “no” often when it comes to eating much of the food out there. We only drank raw organic milk until my mom found Kalona, we forage every summer and learn about one new edible wild plant a year. Lots of kids eat unhealthily and have health problems, so I decided to recreate the foods I wanted with the healthy ingredients that my family uses and share them with other kids so they can eat healthier. Now we share it on YouTube and social media via “Kids Krazy 4 Healthy Cooking”. It is slow going as I am busy with school but we put things up when we can. My mom helps 🙂
We traveled across the country this summer and actually stopped in the beautiful town of Kalona when we were driving by. We loved it, the people were so friendly. We had ice cream and walked around and saw lots of cool things even a Star Trek museum nearby.
I am excited to represent Kalona. We really love that they only work with people who treat their animals right. Mom says animals are not ours to use and to always be grateful for the labor and sacrifice that they and the farmers put in to help us stay nourished.
I hope to be a chef when I grow up.
My dad is from the south so,
Peace to Y’all 🙂
Izzie
I am Izzie Ford of Maize and Honey!
Together with my husband James we wanted a way to explore food and bring people together. Maize and Honey began as a mutual love of food, where it comes from, how it’s grown and our relationship with food throughout history. I have loved baking, cooking, and all things food since I was a little kid and have a special place in my heart for all things dairy- milk, cream, yogurt, cheese, and especially butter. It’s because of that passion for food and diary that I love using Kalona products for their commitment to dairy farmers, the cows, and the land that produce such excellent products. Our very first post was how to make fresh butter and buttermilk, and we knew we wanted to use the best cream we could get our hands on and went straight to buy Kalona SuperNatural Organic Whipping Cream.
We enjoy trying new recipes, exploring different cuisines and challenging each other to try new things. While we love to eat rich foods, we also prepare vegan and vegetarian dishes as well. It’s all about the balance! All of us have and share such important and cherished memories of food. We love to eat, and we love to share our passion for food with others. Our website, www.maizeandhoney.com, has an online cookbook and we can be found on most social media- especially Instagram and Facebook!
Luke
My name is Luke Schafer and I grew up in Emerson, a small town in southwest Iowa. I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from the University of Northern Iowa and am currently applying for medical school.
Fitness has been a huge part of my life. I have been a coach at CrossFit Kilo 2 in Iowa City for over 2 years and have loved every minute of it. We teach our members the importance of not only exercising but also what we should be putting in our bodies. I have competed in CrossFit for almost 5 years now. I have had the opportunity to travel all across the United States to compete, earning a spot at the CrossFit Games on a team in 2015 and at the Central Regionals in 2017 and 2018 as an individual athlete. None of this could have happened without the support of the community.
When I saw the opportunity to work with a local company the emphasizes high integrity and high-quality products, I jumped on it. Kalona’s chocolate milk is the perfect drink after a hard training session and I don’t have to worry about artificial ingredients like a lot of other post-workout drinks. If you have any questions for me, feel free to contact me on Instagram!
Mary
Hi, I’m Mary! Michigander, lover of coffee, the outdoors, and food that fuels me best. I am a latecomer to the healthy living world, but I make up for it with a passion for how much the quality of the things you’re eating matters! Eating real, organic, whole foods has literally changed my life. I spend my days working in a reading program (k-3 graders) and love having the energy to keep up with my students.
When I was first beginning my journey away from the Standard American Diet, reading labels was a terrifying experience! I remember spending thirty minutes in front of the yogurts, overwhelmed, trying to find one I could feel good about eating. When I found the Kalona SuperNatural one, I remember being so relieved, the ingredients were so simple and the phrase “cream top” sounded delicious. And it was! It was the beginning of an obsession with a brand that takes the integrity of their products so seriously. The more I grow on this journey, the more I appreciate having brands like Kalona SuperNatural that I can reach for time and again. Whether it’s whipping up some heavy cream for my nieces, or grabbing cottage cheese for breakfast when I’m running out the door, or baking up a sour cream cake to have as a special dessert, I know that it’s going to be tasty and that it will fuel my body in the way I’ve found to work best.
Megan
Megan is a Kansas State University horticulture graduate and work-at-home-mom. She lives in Wichita, Kansas with her partner Wes and their young son (b. 2015), where together they operate their regenerative garlic and vegetable farm, Orie’s Farm Fresh.
As a passionate local and organic food advocate, Megan enjoys engaging with the community on a weekly basis at farmers’ markets and local events. She also harnesses her love of healthy and seasonal eating by sharing real food meal ideas, recipes, and tips on growing food on her Instagram blog, Mama Makes Food. Upon discovering Kalona SuperNatural at her local Natural Grocers, she instantly fell in love. Kalona checks all the boxes that are essential to her when choosing a dairy brand: minimally processed, organic & non-GMO, from humanely treated grass-fed cows, non-homogenized, from small scale family farms, and completely delicious. Her family’s weekly grocery staples include organic whole milk, whipping cream, sour cream, and eggnog seasonally!
Wandy
Hola, my name is Wandy and I’m a full-time mommy and food connoisseur! My family and I currently live in Dallas, Texas. I am happily married to my husband who I share three beautiful children with, Kaydyn, Emrie, and Asher who keep me on my toes daily! I have a passion for traveling and world cuisines which led to a passion for cooking as a young adult. After years of research, I transitioned my family to a fully organic and wholesome diet. I love creating new meals and sharing them on Instagram with ingredient details to hopefully inspire others to find alternatives to processed foods, and begin the journey to a healthier lifestyle. While shopping at Whole Foods, I came across Kalona SuperNatural cottage cheese which piqued my interest. Kalona SuperNatural products have now become my go-to for all of their dairy products in every meal that I cook.