Dairy

Frisky Cow Gelato Certifies as a B Corporation

Frisky Cow Gelato has been certified as a B Corporation joining 12 other NH B Corp businesses, committed to the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility.

Keene-based gelato producer, Frisky Cow Gelato has announced today its certification as a B Corporation (or B Corp), joining a growing group of companies reinventing business by pursuing purpose as well as profit. 

Frisky Cow Gelato has been certified by B Lab, the not-for-profit behind the B Corp movement, as having met the highest social and environmental standards which represent its commitment to goals outside of shareholder profit. To receive this certification, Frisky Cow Gelato underwent a rigorous assessment that measures and verifies the entirety of a business's operations and covers five key impact areas of Governance, Customers, Community, Environment, and Workers.

“We wanted to focus on more than just the bottom line with Frisky Cow Gelato, which is why we incorporated as a NH Benefit Corporation in 2018,” says owner, Linda Rubin. “This means we were legally committed right from the start to doing environmental and social good.” 

According to Ms. Rubin, the B Corp certification process took nearly two years requiring the business to reach a benchmark score of over 80 while providing evidence of socially and environmentally responsible practices relating to energy, supplies, waste and water use, worker compensation, diversity, and corporate transparency. In addition, every company must legally embed their commitment to a purpose beyond profit in their company articles which Frisky Cow Gelato did when it incorporated in 2018.

Frisky Cow Gelato is now part of a community of 4,600 businesses globally (13 in New Hampshire) who have been certified as B Corps. The B Corp community in the US, representing a broad cross-section of industries and sizes, comprises over 900 companies and includes well-known brands such as Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc., Cabot Creamery, King Arthur Baking Co., Tom’s of Maine, and Pete & Gerry’s Organics. In New Hampshire, Frisky Cow Gelato joins well-known local corporations including Badger and Mascoma Bank.

Frisky Cow Gelato has a history of social responsibility. Since its inception the company has donated a portion of its revenue to nonprofit organizations building the local food system including Food Connects, the Monadnock Farm and Community Coalition and the Cheshire County Conservation District. In 2021, the company launched a Keene State College signature flavor – Mint Owl Crunch – and donates a portion of the sale of every pint to address food insecurity among KSC students. 

“As a NH Benefit Corporation sourcing ingredients, services, and other goods from local companies was extremely important to us, says Rubin. “Donating a portion of our revenue to area non-profits was also high on the list.” 

Jorge Fontanez, CEO of B Lab US and Canada, says “We are delighted to welcome Frisky Cow Gelato to the B Corp community. This is a movement of companies who are committed to changing how the business operates and believe business really can be a force for good. We and the rest of the B Corp community are really pleased to support Frisky Cow Gelato in paving the way for a new way of doing things in the food sector”. 

“When businesses are intentional about meeting social and environmental standards—and focus on more than just the bottom line—we can all affect change while making ourselves more competitive along the way,” says Ms. Rubin. “That’s what the B Corp movement is all about, using business as a force for good.”

About Frisky Cow Gelato Founded in 2018, Frisky Cow Gelato specializes in creating premium artisan gelatos that are dastardly delicious. Their products are sold in more than 50 retail stores in NH, VT, and MA. They also operate a gelato scoop shop in Keene and provide a gelato bar for weddings, parties, and community events.  Frisky Cow Gelato creates all its gelatos from scratch at its licensed NH dairy processing facility on Krif Rd in Keene.

Frisky Cow Gelato is a NH Benefit Corporation and certified B Corp and donates 2% of its annual revenue to local organizations working to build the local food system, fight food insecurity, and address environmental issues. 

About B Corporations Certified B Corporations are leaders of a global movement of people using business as a force for good. They meet the highest standards of overall social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability and aspire to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. There are more than 2,000 Certified B Corporations in over 130 industries and 50 countries with 1 unifying goal – to redefine success in business.

About B Lab B Lab is a nonprofit organization that serves a global movement of people using business as a force for good. Its vision is that one day all companies compete not only to be the best in the world, but the Best for the World®, and as a result society will enjoy a more shared and durable prosperity. For more information, visit www.bcorporation.net and www.benefitcorp.net.

Frisky Cow Gelato Expands with New Local Food Production Facility

Frisky Cow Gelato (FCG) continues to grow, expanding production in a new Keene facility, proving the growth of consumer interest in locally produced food.

Frisky Cow Gelato (FCG), a Keene-based specialty food producer, has expanded its operation to a new 1,500 square foot production/retail facility located at Union Place (80 Krif Rd) in Keene.  The company, which produces a premium small-batch gelato made from local ingredients, is currently outfitting the new space to continue production there beginning in March 2021. The business, which makes homemade gelato for wholesale distribution in NH, VT, and MA, saw its food sales increase by 65% since the pandemic struck, highlighting the rising consumer demand for local food. 

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“We are so excited to be able to continue on this journey of producing a premium artisan gelato made with farm-fresh local milk, cream, and other local ingredients,” says owner, Linda Rubin.

In addition to about 1,100 square feet of production space, the unit has about 400 square feet of retail space. The new space will allow for increased wholesale production and designated space for retail sales. “I never envisioned FCG having a retail gelateria—but since the pandemic, I’ve learned to “never say never,” says Rubin. The retail space will be open for limited hours for customers to stop by and pick up both specialty and signature FCG flavors. Look for hours on the FCG website soon.

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FCG is committed to collaborating with local producers to ensure the highest quality products and to support other local producers. Last year, FCG partnered with Terra Nova Coffee owner, Jeff Murphy, to create a homemade coffee syrup using their organic coffee and espresso varieties. FCG’s Coffeehouse Chip flavor now carries the Terra Nova logo on all of its pint labels. “To build our local economy and our local food system, we need to continue to support each other’s businesses,” says Rubin. “In 2021, we are working with our new neighbor, The Bread Shed, to create a cookie dough gelato using their homemade dough.” 

“Linda and I have been working together on this new flavor since the summer,” says Brittany Migneault, owner of the Bread Shed. “Customers love our soft-baked homemade cookies, and I’m excited to be working with FCG to expand our products to be part of a really great local gelato.” 

The continued growth of FCG helps the struggling New England dairy industry while also contributing to the growth of NH’s local food system and economy. “Growing our local food system has been a driver for me for more than 25 years living and working in NH”, says Rubin. FCG plans to source pasteurized milk and cream from NH farms, including Contoocook Creamery at Bohannon Farm in Contoocook, NH.

According to the Roberston family, owners of Contoocook Creamery at Bohannon Farm, selling value-added products to partners like FCG helps to sustain their 5th generation family farm in NH. The Farm currently sells milk, cheese, beef, and eggs—both wholesale and retail—to more than 100 food businesses. “We’re looking forward to working with Frisky Cow. Their gelato is excellent, and we’re proud to be a part of its growth as a NH-based business,” says Robertson family spokesperson, Jaime Roberston.   

Food Connects, an entrepreneurial non-profit located in Brattleboro, VT, delivers FCG and food from more than 90 local farms and food producers to over 135 wholesale customers in parts of NH, VT, and MA. In the past year, they have helped FCG to get on the shelves of at least 10 new area retailers. The organization makes it easier for food businesses to buy wholesale from small local food producers and farms. “Food Connects is proud to be able to increase the capacity of FCG and so many other small producers, to grow their businesses by supporting them to reach new markets,” says Executive Director and Food Connects Founder, Richard Berkfield. Building shorter, more community-based supply chains that are less reliant on national or global networks and food suppliers ensures the local food system continues to grow, according to Berkfield.

FCG saw its sales increase by 65% since the pandemic hit, and keeping up with higher demand for their local gelato required a larger and more improved infrastructure. “I realize we are very privileged to have the problems of rapid growth while so many businesses are struggling or closing,” says Rubin. “The future may still be uncertain, but we believe that everything “local” will continue to grow in importance in NH and beyond.”


Frisky Cow Gelato is a small batch, premium, artisan gelato made with local ingredients and lots of love in Keene, New Hampshire. It is available for special events (weddings, parties, etc) and for wholesale for restaurants, grocers, coops, and farm stores. It is also sold at its new retail shop at Union Place (80 Krif Rd) in Keene. 

Frisky Cow Gelato is a NH Benefit Corporation and donates $.15 from the sale of every pint to local organizations that are working to build the local food system, fight food insecurity and address environmental issues. 

For more information, visit www.friskycowgelato.org, email at lrubin5010@gmail.com or call 603-757-2522.