Mascoma Bank – Giving Beyond Treats Clara Cole

GIVING BEYOND TREATS

Clara Cole

From dogs and cats to horses and fish, Mascoma Bank shows love to them all. Yes, we have dog treats at every branch drive up, and you might even see a sweet pup lounging in a branch lobby from time to time. But, here at Mascoma Bank, we do more than provide the yummiest snacks ever and a much loved “come to work with mom or dad” day. In fact, Clay Adams, President, and CEO of Mascoma Bank says, “Mascoma Bank has shown a great commitment to animal rights and protection through strong volunteering efforts and philanthropy work. Being a dog owner myself, it is great to be part of an organization that cares and takes action to better the lives of our pets.” Mariah Davis, Community Impact Manager at Mascoma Bank adds, “Through philanthropic efforts, we have donated nearly $20,000 to animal care causes to date in 2022. It is great to see the large impact Mascoma Bank can have on animal well-being. Through these donations, as well as through our paid employee volunteer program, Mascoma Bank shows a true commitment to animal advocacy.” Through Mascoma Bank’s Volunteer Time Off program, employees get 16 hours of paid volunteer time each year. Many employees choose to volunteer their time with humane societies, animal rescue organizations, and other nonprofits that put animal rights at the forefront of their missions. Mandy Wright, the Lebanon Branch Support Assistant Branch Manager has been volunteering with Potter’s Angels Rescue for 6 years. This Vermont-based nonprofit is a foster and rescue organization dedicated to finding homes for unwanted and neglected animals. Mandy has fostered many dogs over the years and says, “Watching animals get a second chance at life is the best sight. The sooner one of my foster dogs is adopt-

ed, the sooner we can pull another dog out of neglect and save a life.” In January of this year, Mandy was able to visit Houston, Texas on behalf of the nonprofit and brought 31 dogs back to Vermont to find forever homes. Mandy explains that Mascoma Bank was the reason she started working with Potter’s Angels all those years ago. “The bank not only supports me through my volunteer time, but also introduced me to this organization. If I didn’t start working at Mascoma Bank, I wouldn’t have found this passion.”

Ta Clarke, Office Manager at Mascoma Wealth Management is another employee who has done outstanding work for neglected animals. Ta has used her volunteer hours to work with many rescue organizations, most recently Bonus Dogs in North Hartland, VT. This 501(c)(3) nonprofit not only finds homes for neglected animals, but also for animals that typically wouldn’t be adoptable. Bonus Dogs helps these pets through tough times, heals them back to a stability, and finds them family. Ta says, “Every year my Volunteer Time Off (VTO) goes to rescue organizations. It is so nice to be able to use my VTO, help these animals, and do something I love.”

Because supporting our furry friends is so important to us here at Mascoma Bank, we have also built many customer relationships who give back to our animals. By servicing our customer’s banking needs, small businesses like Willow Farm Pet Services and West Lebanon Feed and Supply are here to help our pets stay healthy, clean, fed, and more! Carolyn Tourville, owner of Willow Farm Pet Services in North Springfield, VT says, “When it came time to buy my business, I worked closely with Dan Harrington and Patti Putnam at the bank, and it went great. When I think of Mascoma Bank I think of community. They’re always willing to help business owners in this town.” Willow Farm Pet Services caters to pet grooming, boarding, and retail pet supplies.

Similarly, Curtis Jacques, from West Lebanon Feed and Supply says, “Mascoma Bank is the bank we choose because of their community values, and of course their support. Not just to us as a customer, but to the community at large.” West Lebanon Feed and Supply offers a variety of pet, large animal, and wildlife products for sale.

With the bank’s value of mutual respect and trust at the forefront of all our customer relationships, we are able to give back through philanthropic efforts, as well as through supporting businesses like Willow Farm Pet Services and West Lebanon Feed and Supply. We thank our partners who continue to help our pets each day.

Clara Cole is a rising senior at Bryant University. This is her second summer as an intern in the Mascoma Bank Marketing Department.

DOLLAR$, CENT$ AND YOUR PET$

Peter Kenseth

Like most goods, the cost of pet food has been subject to inflationary pressures this year. However, if you feel as though the increases in the cost of your dog or cat’s food have been higher than on other items, you’re not imagining it. Petfood Industry recently reported that “for June 2022, pet food inflation registered at 10.3% year-over-year (YOY), compared to 9.1% for the CPI.” That means that inflation in pet food is outpacing the Consumer Price Index.

Pet parents can’t simply decide to stop feeding their pets in response to inflationary pressures, so for many pet owners, continued increases in the cost of their pet’s food may cause them to look for less expensive alternatives. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the factors that have driven inflationary pressures in pet food, and understand if pet parents can expect a leveling off in prices to come any time soon.

The Pandemic Pet Boom

Pet food is not unique in that many of the root causes driving price increases are linked to the pandemic. However, one cause that is somewhat unique is the record number of new pets that were adopted or bought during the COVID-19 crisis. The ASPCA reported that 23 million American households acquired a pet in 2020, which created a demand that the industry was not fully prepared to meet.

Throughout 2020 and into 2021, manufac8 4 Legs & a Tail turers had to allocate supply, and found themselves investing in new manufacturing facilities or new production lines to ensure that they had the capacity to meet the increased demand. In many cases, these costs were passed on to consumers.

Supply Chain Disruption – Raw Materials and Packaging Supplies

While the increase in pet adoptions drove an overall level of increased demand, and manufacturers scrambled to ensure that they had the capacity to meet it, supply chain disruptions were affecting every facet of the economy. Pet food was not immune to this. Global supply chain disruptions ranging from COVID-caused factory and processing plant shutdowns, to the blockage of the Suez Canal, to the Texas freezes, to a shortage of truck drivers, meant that manufacturers experienced shortages of raw ingredients and packaging materials. Given that pet food manufacturers are often competing with other industries for these raw materials and packaging supplies, the competition for restricted goods lead to increased raw materials and packaging costs, which ultimately increases the price that pet parents pay at checkout. Raw materials that have suffered supply shortages range from the obvious – beef, chicken, lamb, duck, liver, grain, and corn – to less obvious ingredients that pet parents might not immediately think of as being part of their pet’s meal – chicken fat, pea protein, and corn starch. Meats in particular represent an ongoing challenge for pet food manufacturers, as the increased demand is creating a protein shortage that ultimately affects the cost of meat for both people and pets.

The supply of grain and corn is another thorny issue, as Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine put a halt on exports from the country, which is one of the world’s largest exporters of both ingredients. While shipments of grain have been allowed to leave Ukrainian ports for the first time since the invasion this week, it is expected that it will take months to clear the backlog and return production to prewar levels.

Packaging supplies have also contributed to increased prices. The cost of aluminum has spiked in the last few years, and manufacturers have faced can shortages, which impact production of wet foods. Many manufacturers are switching to can alternatives, like Tetra Paks, but even these alternatives have been in short supply. However, don’t be surprised to see more aluminum alternatives like plastic tubs, Tetra Paks, and flexible pouches on the shelves, as manufacturers look to circumvent shortages and mitigate cost increases.

The Future

Looking forward, several factors will influence whether pet parents continue to see the cost of their dog or cat’s food continue to increase. Fuel prices have been a recent contributor to increasing pet food costs, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sent the price of diesel and gas to record levels. This leads to increased shipping and transportation costs.

Additionally, while seemingly unrelated, renewable diesel is also acting as a catalyst for continued price increases. Renewable diesel relies on animal- and plant-based oils and fats for production, and both federal and state mandates and incentives around the use of renewable fuels have created another industry that is competing with the pet food industry for some of its core ingredients.

While it doesn’t ease the pain of the current inflationary environment, pet parents should be aware that these recent cost increases are the result of a perfect storm of interrelated factors that are driving similar cost increases in other areas of the economy. Pet food inflation may be outpacing the CPI, but there was an unprecedented acquisition of pets that accompanied the supply chain disruptions that are affecting nearly ever other industry. Manufacturers are still playing catch-up, and the current price situation reflects that. Fortunately, with the vast number of quality pet food options available in the market, pet parents that find themselves needing to trade down can rely on knowledgeable retailers to help them find an acceptable substitute.

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Barks

South Burlington based artist, Kimberly Provost, enjoys sharing her art passion. As a true pet and animal lover, she has a soft spot for these subjects, “I have a great love of animals and find pet portraits extremely gratifying. Working to fully capture the personality of a beloved pet for my clients, is both challenging and rewarding. The variety of subject matter keeps me excited and looking forward to my next painting.” Kim says.

Many of the pet portraits Kim paints are for those who have lost their pets. A recent pet portrait client, Molly Ritvo, commented about her artwork: “I really can tell how much you really get the love and grief we all feel when losing animals. Thank you for capturing that!” A Portrait of Truffles by Kim Provost Molly and her father had recently ordered a pet portrait as a gift to Molly’s mother. Along with the photo references that were sent in preparation for the portrait, Molly shared a poem she had written about their late pet, Truffles:

A chapter ending today as we say goodbye to precious Truffles.

This dear doggie.

Jesse & I met her 14 years ago after she had fulfilled her duty of being a mama to many puppies. She was ready to retire and find a new home. My mom instantly fell in love with her and after living as Jesse’s dog for a bit, she soon moved in with my mom. Hubbard Park (with The Tired Puppy LLC) was her favorite place and soon she and my mom became soul mates. Everyone else was just extra. They were always together. Sometimes it was hard to see where my mom ended, and Truffles started.

She was there for death and a birth and two marriages and a move to Burlington. She was gentle and stubborn, especially around food left unattended. She was tender and just wanted to put her head on someone’s lap. She was the only dog my dad actually enjoyed.

Thank you for your love, dear sweet old girl.

I’ll always see your gentle eyes watching for my mom to come home.

“Why love what you will lose? There is nothing else to love.” Poem by Molly Ritvo Fall 2022

“I hear so many wonderful stories and antics about the pets I paint.” Kim says. “It helps me to capture the animal’s personality and character within my work. I hope that by working through the process of the portrait, it will help to bring healing to my clients, as they share their memories. I feel honored to be a part of their journey with their pet. I understand how much our pets mean to us all and how they become a special part of our family.”

Kim Provost with Deacon

As a young girl, Kimberly Provost spent much of her time outdoors. Whether fishing, walking in the woods, riding her horse or just being still, she would constantly be analyzing nature and all its details. Since then, she continues to appreciate the beauty that surrounds her. Whether she is painting a Vermont landscape or the soft muzzle of a basset hound, she enjoys spending time working on the details and creating the world as she sees it.

“My method of painting with pastel is one of care with details and the smooth blending of colors and edges when I feel it is necessary; my fingers being my primary blending tool. Occasionally I will work with an alcohol and pastel underpainting, although I prefer to sketch and paint directly onto a colored support and add many layers of pastel.”, says the long-time resident of the Burlington area.

Kimberly Provost is a visual artist born in upstate New York in 1966. At an early age she took an interest in art and this interest continued through high school and college. Although she followed a career in the health care field, raised four children, and later, owned and managed an electrical business with her husband, Kimberly continued to do draw and paint when time allowed. Sadly, in 2009 her husband was diagnosed with ALS and as a result their business closed in 2013. The diagnosis of her husband’s ALS was devastating, however their family remains hopeful. Now, as his full time caregiver, Kimberly has turned to her art for Fall 2022 solace. In her home studio in South Burlington, Vermont she is able to take time to reflect and rest from her caregiving role, as well as define herself as an artist. She is devoted to ongoing learning and experimentation in art and remains engaged in several art groups.

Kimberly’s work is represented at the Art Works Frame Shop and Gallery in South Burlington Vermont and the Arthound Gallery in Essex, Vermont. She has exhibited her artwork at the Strand Gallery in Plattsburgh, New York and the Bryan Memorial Gallery in Jeffersonville, VT, as well as, in several group exhibits including the Vermont Pastel Society.