EUGENE, Ore. - The local community mourns the loss of Chuck Kesey, co-founder of Springfield Creamery and a pioneer in the probiotic food movement, who passed away at 87.

According to Springfield Creamery, Chuck Kesey, alongside his wife Sue, revolutionized the natural foods market with their creation of Nancy’s Probiotic Foods. In 1970, Chuck Kesey made a significant breakthrough by adding L. acidophilus to honey-sweetened yogurt, creating the first commercial yogurt in the U.S. with live probiotics. This innovation birthed Nancy’s Yogurt and the modern probiotic foods category.

Financial difficulties in 1972 led to a legendary benefit concert by the Grateful Dead in Veneta, which saved the Creamery, intertwining science with serendipity. His daughter, Sheryl Kesey Thompson, emphasized

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