Oct–Dec, 2001

Modern Americans have a nearly endless supply of food product choices. Fresh, frozen, organic, boxed, bagged, bulk, domestic, imported — you name it, it’s there for customers to buy. Imagine…

Marshall, Minn. — Add the mouse and the monitor to the list of tools used to ensure food safety in Minnesota. In September, AURI and Southwest State University in Marshall…

  Determined to put a new product into the fiercely competitive food marketplace? You could shut your eyes, plug your nose and jump in. Or you could spend months, even…

  Editor’s note: The following interviews with six successful entrepreneurs were conducted by phone and e-mail. AURI extends a sincere thanks for their willingness to share their hard-won acumen with…

Minneapolis, Minn. — A hearty new organic bread from French Meadow Bakery has all the right stuff: sprouted spelt, amaranth and quinoa; pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds and dates, plus one of…

Lynn Gordon made her prosperous bread business from scratch. The Minneapolis entrepreneur began French Meadow Bakery in 1985. She baked bread at night in a rented cheesecake factory, with help…

St. Louis Park, Minn. — Kari Lee Beutell appears undaunted by the 60,000 pounds of apple crisp baking mix behind her, waiting to be put in one-pound packages. After all,…

Solway, Minn. — At Blackstar Dairy, the cream really does rise to the top. Rod and Sue Cloose and their cows make milk and yogurt the natural way — no…

  Stillwater, Minn. — No one knows more about George Ghanem’s sausage consumers than he does. As producer of Papa George food products, he’s gained that insider info the hard…

Minnetonka, Minn. — Scott Jacobson’s alter ego, Jake, is worldly, bold, eager to please. His motto: “I search the world to bring you the best.” Part of that search ended…

Minnetonka, Minn. — Need elk? Minnesota leads the nation in producing elk meat and antlers. The state’s 264 elk farmers are pioneers in the small but growing specialty meats industry.…

Minnetonka, Minn. — Like a pitcher facing a starting lineup, Jim Wheeler has stared down some powerful forces in the struggle to grow his specialty food company. Wheeler, who spent…

Like Lisa Gjersvik, project director at AURI’s Waseca office, and Charan Wadhawan, AURI food scientist in Crookston, have been with AURI since its first years. For over a decade, Gjersvik…

Editor’s Note: This is the final installment in a four-part series following a year in the life of Bruce Tiffany, an entrepreneurial farmer who created wildlife treats from local commodities.…

Editor’s note: As a service to our readers, we provide news about the work of others in the ag utilization arena. Often, research done elsewhere complements AURI’s work. Please note…

  Here’s another potpourri of Minnesota-based sites for Internet aficionados. Expand your knowledge base, find something you want to buy, or just stay entertained for a while. And stop by…

Lakeville, Minn. — If someone isn’t doing it, then do it yourself, Renne Soberg decided. Since the mid 1980s, he had been interested in medicinal herbs. But Soberg was surprised…