Galloping Scandinavian gourmets

Lefse lovers mix it up with Ragna’s

By Greg Booth

Fertile, Minn. —How many Norwegians does it take to make a great batch of lefse?

None, if you have Ragna’s Old Fashioned Scandinavian Lefse mix. Ditto for potato dumplings and pancake mixes. Whether you’re Scandinavian or just appreciate northern European foods, Troy Gullekson’s made it easy to cook up a batch in 20 minutes.

“These dishes used to be a half-day job,” Gullekson says. “Customers can still have a traditional dish that doesn’t take so much time and effort.”

Ragna’s mixes, based on original home recipes, are manufactured by Penn Foods, purchased by Gullekson and his wife Michelle in 1999. “We get lots of letters praising the product, saying that it’s just like their mother’s or their grandmother’s, and it’s really easy,” Gullekson says. Nearly all ingredients are from northwest Minnesota, qualifying Penn Foods for the Minnesota Grown label.

Looking gifty

Penn Foods has “really taken off” since its inclusion in the Umaga Gift Mall in Plymouth, Minn., Gullekson says. With help from AURI’s Michael Sparby, Penn Foods found a spot in the 160-store mall, which sells only to retailers, primarily gift shops. It was a big step for the Gulleksons, who say their highest hurdle was marketing.

“The mall markets to gift shops, and now we ship and bill directly to the gift shops,” Troy says. “It’s on a national level and we get good exposure that way. We reach Scandinavians and snowbirds around the country. To facilitate that, our product is now in a poly stand-up gift bag with a fancy label. The story (of Ragna’s) is on the label. ... Display is everything … it has to look ‘gifty.’”

Penn Foods also has a colorful Web site that features animation, recipes, testimonials and an order form. The site was developed with help from the Red River Trade Council. Gullekson calls the Web “unknown territory,” and while they’ve received a few orders from around the country, it’s too early to tell how the site will fare.

Nevertheless, “we’re excited about it,” he says. “Summertime is traditionally a slow time for ethnic or seasonal foods, and we’ve been very busy in the slow time. ... We’re geared up a lot better. We’ve upgraded our equipment.” The Gulleksons also have a packaging and mailing room to keep up with daily deliveries.

Demand for dumplings

The Gulleksons have approached grocers about selling their products, and have also had stores contact them due to customer requests. “It’s very encouraging when managers call us and ask if they can get the product because they have the demand for it,” Gullekson says.

The Gulleksons deliver the mixes within a 100-mile radius of home and use delivery services for distant orders. “We’re bypassing the warehouse,” says Gullekson, who also has a full-time job working with the University of Minnesota-Crookston beef research herd.

“Business is up 50 percent from a year ago. We’re producing a consistent quality product on a timely basis. We’ve never had a leak in our bags, and we’re able to keep the stores happy and the shelves stocked.”

Potato dumpling mix is the biggest seller, Gullekson says. It may be Scandinavian, but “Chekoslovakians, Germans and other nationalities have adapted our (mixes) to their liking. They appeal to a wide range of ethnic groups.”

AURI food scientist Charan Wadhawan helped the Gulleksons with nutritional labeling and complying with FDA labeling regulations. AURI also participated in a cooperative marketing plan for the products with the Small Business Development Center in Moorhead, Minn.

To order mixes, visit the Web site: www.pennfoods.com or contact Penn Foods, P.O. Box 56, Fertile, MN 56540.