CWIMA Summit & Expo: ‘A new adventure every year’
The importance of the entire fish – scales and all
September 7, 2026
PLYMOUTH – A song about string cheese has struck a chord with Sargento, leading the Wisconsin company to sponsor “American Idol’s” season 24 winner, country singer Hannah Harper.
“When we first heard Hannah’s song ‘String Cheese,’ we immediately saw an authentic connection to the Sargento brand,” Jeremy Schellin, Sargento’s general manager of consumer products, said. “Not only because we make real, natural string cheese, but because as a third-generation, family-owned company, we know how meaningful parenting can be.”
In “String Cheese,” released one year prior to her American Idol victory, Harper reflects on the demands of motherhood and the gratitude she feels for being her children’s mom.
Inspired by the song’s message, Schellin said Sargento reached out and gifted Harper a pack of its Wisconsin-made string cheese.
“The initial outreach was a genuine gesture of support after we heard Hannah’s song, and the partnership continued to grow naturally from there,” he said. “We stayed in touch, and as the relationship developed, the opportunity to support her tour became a natural next step.”
What started as “a surprise package of Sargento String Cheese® snacks,” Schellin said, ultimately evolved into an exclusive sponsorship between Sargento and Harper’s String Cheese Tour.
“I’ve always loved that Sargento is a family-owned company that believes in making high-quality, natural cheese,” Harper said in a statement released by Sargento. “It’s what I feed my own family at home and exactly what I want to fuel our crew on the road.”
A family commitment
According to her website, hannahharpermusic.com, Harper grew up in southeast Missouri “steeped in the rich traditions of bluegrass gospel music” – playing music from a young age in her family’s group, The Harper Family.
Touring with her family band, per the website, inspired Harper to pursue a solo career in music after marrying her husband, Devon, and starting a family in 2018.
Even prior to receiving Sargento’s gift, Schellin said Harper had already been a fan of the company’s products – often using them to help feed her three boys.
“We saw a strong shared connection around family, quality and bringing people together,” Schellin said.
As a locally owned and operated company, Schellin said Harper’s song resonated with the employees at Sargento – sparking the inspiration for the gift turned long-term partnership.
“Our team was moved by Hannah’s song and saw a genuine opportunity to connect with an artist whose story and values naturally aligned with our brand,” he said. “What started as an organic opportunity to support Hannah ultimately grew into something much bigger.”
Because of the natural way their collaboration came about, Schellin said Sargento and Harper’s partnership “goes beyond traditional brand exposure.”
“Hannah gives us an authentic way to connect with her fan community through an artist who genuinely uses and enjoys our real, natural cheese products,” he said.
Founded more than 70 years ago in Plymouth, Schellin said Sargento embodies what it means to be committed to family and community – emphasizing the company’s shared values with Harper and her music.
“The partnership also gives us a platform to tell the broader Sargento story – who we are as a third-generation, family-owned company and our longstanding commitment to delivering high-quality, real, natural cheese,” he said.
Authentic, meaningful partners
As part of Sargento’s sponsorship, per its aforementioned statement – available at sargentofoods.com – the company is sponsoring several “surprise ticket giveaways,” and plans to celebrate its most engaged community members with “Fan of the Week” recognitions and tickets to upcoming shows.
“Rather than simply putting our logo on a tour bus, we’re creating opportunities to celebrate family, support an artist we believed in early and create memorable in-person and digital experiences for consumers across the country,” Schellin said. “We’re focused on making the partnership meaningful throughout the tour and creating opportunities for fans to participate along the way.”
For Harper and her crew, Sargento’s statement further shares that the company “transformed Harper’s tour bus” with custom graphics and a fully stocked fridge of Sargento String Cheese® snacks, Balanced Breaks® snack kits, Sargento Mighty Bites™ lunch snack kits and other Sargento natural cheeses.
“That combination of authentic connection, brand storytelling and consumer engagement is what makes the partnership valuable for the Sargento brand,” Schellin said. “We see this as a strong example of what can happen when a brand makes authentic, culturally relevant partnerships.”
Having kicked off her String Cheese Tour June 2 – coinciding with her Grand Ole Opry debut in Nashville, Tennessee – Harper said Sargento’s support throughout the tour is especially meaningful as a growing artist.
“Having one of the first brands that believed in me join this tour makes this partnership incredibly special,” she said.
For more information on Sargento, or Harper’s ongoing tour, visit their respective websites.
