MINNESOTA INSTITUTE FORSUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

411 Borlaug Hall1991 Upper Buford CircleSt. Paul, MN 55108612-625-8235www.misa.umn.edu

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dnb2009 Minnesota Directory of Organic Buyers

dnb2009 Minnesota Directory of Organic Buyers

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Gigi DiGiacomo, Consultant, project management, design and writingYaling Huan, Master of Geographic Information Science, Department of Geography, University of

Minnesota, GIS mappingAnnalisa Hultberg, Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Forest Resources, University of

Minnesota, project design, writing, and GIS mappingMegan Grinde, Intern, Minnesota Project, data entryBeth Nelson, Associate Program Director, Information Exchange, Minnesota Institute for Sustainable

Agriculture, University of Minnesota, editingBrett Olson, Creative Director, Renewing the Countryside, graphic design

ADVISORY TEAM

Harriet Behar, Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service, Spring Valley, WICarmen Fernholz, organic grain farmer and member of OFARM, Madison, MNPaul Hugunin, Minnesota Grown Program, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, St. Paul, MNPaul Lynch, Executive Chef, Fire Lake Grill House, Minneapolis, MNMeg Moynihan, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, St. Paul, MNHelene Murray, Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, St. Paul, MNBob Serrano, Produce Team Leader, Whole Foods Market, St. Paul, MNCraig Tomera, Buyer/agronomist Northland Organic, St. Paul, MNRhys Williams, Organic and Sustainable Food Distrubutor, Co-op Partners Warehouse, St. Paul, MN

The development and production of this publication was funded by the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, 411 Borlaug Hall,1991 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN 55108. 612-625-8235. www.misa.umn.edu.

The initial printing and distribution of this publication were generouslyunderwritten by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture,625 N. Robert Street, St. Paul, MN 55155. 651-201-6000. www.mda.state.mn.us.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

3. ABOUT THE 2009 MINNESOTA DIRECTORY OF ORGANIC BUYERS

4. HOW TO USE THE DIRECTORY

5. PRODUCT CATEGORY DEFINITIONS

6. ORGANIC BUYERS: LISTING BY COUNTY

10. ORGANIC BUYERS: CONTACT INFORMATION

LISTINGS BY PRODUCT CATEGORY

24. Dairy

32. Meat

40. Produce

48. Deli

52. Dry/Processed

60. Non-food

64. Frozen

70. Food Grain

72. Feed Grain

73. GLOSSARY

74. SELLING TIPS

75. RESOURCES

MAIL-IN APPLICATION FOR NEXT DIRECTORY

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Copyright 2009, Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, and may be copied or reproduced, please credit MISA and MDA.

Additional copies of this item may be ordered from the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, 411 Borlaug Hall, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN 55108,

email: misamail@umn.edu, phone: 612-625-8235 or 800-909-6472. Also available in full text online at: www.misa.umn.edu

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, this material is available in alternative formats upon request.Please contact MISA at 612-625-8235.

The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

The information given is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with theunderstanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the

Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture is implied.

ABOUT THE 2009

MINNESOTA DIRECTORY OF ORGANIC BUYERS

The 2009 Minnesota Directory of Organic Buyers (Directory) was compiled by the Minnesota Institute forSustainable Agriculture (MISA) to support and promote market development for local organicproducts.

Demand for local and organic food products is growing, yet the marketing of organic products continuesto challenge local buyers and sellers. Many buyers are interested in local, organic product, butdon’t have dedicated resources available to locate new sources or to process individualtransactions. Farmers, on the other hand, are uncertain about how to market their productsthrough retail channels or how best to contact commodity processors. For this reason, MISA setout to develop the first directory of its kind—one that will improve market transparency byproviding buyer contact information as well as buyer purchasing preferences to suppliers oforganic products. In doing so, we hope that this directory will make it easier for farmers andbuyers to connect, to develop long-term business relationships, and to help grow Minnesota’slocal, organic, food economy.

More than 850 Minnesota-based retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, and brokers were contacted bymail with applications and invited to participate in the Directory. It was not known whetherthese buyers were purchasing organic products. The initial application mailing was followedthree weeks later with a reminder postcard encouraging buyers to return their applications.Approximately 90 buyers responded indicating that they are interested in connecting with new,local suppliers of organic products. These buyers are listed in the pages that follow and you areencouraged to contact them directly! Many buyers noted that when making purchasingdecisions “local” is just as important as “organic.”

As the market for local organic food and fiber products grows, MISA will periodically update the directory.If you would like your Minnesota business to be included in the next printing of the MinnesotaDirectory of Organic Buyers, please contact MISA below or mail in the form found in back ofbook.

MISA411 Borlaug Hall1991 Upper Buford CircleSt. Paul, MN 55108612-625-8235www.misa.umn.edu

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HOW TO USE THE DIRECTORY

The 2009 Minnesota Directory of Organic Buyers is organized by geographic location and by productcategory. Businesses are also listed by company name (in alphabetical order) along with contactinformation in the Buyer Contact Information section on pages 10-22.

Searching by Product Category. You can connect with and arrange sales with buyers of a particularproduct—whether it be specialty cheese, leafy greens, feed-grade soybeans, frozen chicken, orfresh cut flowers. Simply search the product listings by category to identify buyers and to learnmore about their specific purchasing criteria for the products you have to offer or are interestedin contracting. Product listings can be found on pages 24-72.

Searching by Geographic Location. Take a quick look at the map on page 6 to get a feel for whereorganic buyers are concentrated and/or to explore potential delivery routes. This is a good wayto develop sales strategies and distribution options. Alternatively you can search by county toidentify buyers of all business types in your immediate vicinity—to determine whether or not itis feasible to market within 25 miles, 50 miles or 150 miles of the farm. County listings can befound on pages 7-9.

Purchasing Preferences. Buyers were given a list of purchasing criteria specific to product categories.They were asked to assign a level of importance to each criterion that affects their purchasingdecisions. For example, grain buyers were asked about Japanese Agriculture Standards (JAS)certification. In response they could say that when making their buying decisions, JAScertification is “required,”“preferred,” or “not important.” As a grain supplier, you can use the list ofpreferences to learn more about a buyer’s needs before approaching him/her with productofferings. If you can show the buyer that you are good match—based on the buyer’s purchasingpreferences—you will be more likely to make a sale or open the door for future sales.

Buyer purchasing preferences are denoted by the following symbols:

n = Required. The buyer requires all sellers to adhere to this standard. Buyer will not accept products orcommodities that do not satisfy the specificed criterion.

O = Preferred. The buyer prefers that sellers offer this service or meet the specified standard. Buyer willstill consider purchases of products that do not meet this criterion, but, all others things beingequal, they will typically source from a supplier who can satisfy the specified standard orservice.

a = Suggested. The buyer suggested that the seller use the indicated practices for communication orprovide the indicated marketing materials.

A blank cell means that the buyer did not specify this item as a purchasing criterion and likely does notexpect suppliers/farmers to offer this service or follow this practice. Preferences and other termsare defined in the Glossary on page 74.

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PRODUCT CATEGORY DEFINITIONS

Dairy:Fluid milk, cheese, yogurt, yogurt drinks.

Meat & Poultry:Beef, pork, chicken, buffalo, elk, lamb, goat, gamePrimals: the basic major cuts of meat into which carcasses or sides are separated.Quarters: quarter of animalVariety meats: offal items such as heart, liver, tongue, brain, sweetbread, etc.

Deli—fresh and refrigerated:Prepared and packaged goods that need refrigeration. Examples include fresh salsas, sandwiches, salads,juices, cut flowers, pies and breads, non-dairy beverages (wines, beers).

Produce:Fresh vegetables, berries, wine grapes, herbs, nuts, fresh cut flowers, nursery plants, decorative gourds.

Dry/Processed:Processed or value-added food and drinks which are shelf-stable. Examples include flours, baking mixes,sauces/condiments, snack foods, canned goods.

Non–food items:Flowers, personal care products, household products, cleaners, pet food, clothing items.

Frozen:Anything that is frozen at the time of processing and handled accordingly. Examples include pies, pizzas,ice creams, fruit/berries, vegetables, dinner rolls, dough, prepared dinners.

Food Grains—oilseeds and legumes:Dry edible beans, field peas, buckwheat, wheat, barleyFood grade soybeansFood grade corn, white corn, blue corn and waxy cornPulse crops, including peas and lentilsSunflowers and canola oil seed cropsMalting barley and other specialty small grains like oats, flax, safflower, millet

Feed Grains—oilseeds and legumes:High quality distillers dried grains (DDGs) from ethanol production for feed.Traditional number 2 yellow corn and soybeans for feed.

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AnokaAveda Corporation (Organica Restaurant): a aa a a a a aDairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen, Food Grade Grains

BeckerWhite Earth Land Recovery Project: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Dry/Processed, Frozen a aa a a

BeltramiHarmony Natural Food Cooperative: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Frozen a aa a a a

CarverMackenthun's Fine Foods: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a a

ClaySK Food International: Food-Grade Grains, Feed-Grade Grains a a

CookAngry Trout Café: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a a

Crow WingBreezy Point Resort: Produce aCrow Wing Food Co-op: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a a

DakotaSpiral Natural Foods: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a aStockyards Meat Packing Company: Dairy, Meat a aValley Natural Foods: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a a

DoorOrganic Farmers' Agency for Relationship Marketing (OFARM): Food-Grade Grains a

GoodhueBuchanan Grocery: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a aPastureland Cooperative: Dairy aSimple Abundance: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a a

HennepinAgMotion Specialty Grains: Food-Grade Grains, Feed-Grade Grains a aBarbette: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Dry/Processed, Frozen a aa a aBirchwood Café: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, FrozenBroder's Cucina Italiana: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed a aa a aBroder's Southside Pasta Bar: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed a aa a aCafé Erté/K and K Hospitality: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Frozen a aa a a aClassic Provisions, Inc: Dairy, Meat, Deli, Dry/Processed, Frozen a a a a aCommon Roots Café: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a aCrema Cafe: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Dry/Processed a aa aEastside Food Co-op: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a aFirelake Grill House and Cocktail Bar / Radisson Plaza Hotel: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed a aa a aFrench Meadow Bakery and Café: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed a aa a aGrain Millers Inc: Food-Grade Grains, Feed-Grade Grains a aJubilee Foods: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a aLinden Hills Co-op: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a aLucia's Restaurant: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed a aa a a

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listing by county

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Lund Food Holdings, Inc (Lunds and Byerly’s): Meat, Produce, Dry/Processed, Non-Food aa a aMurray's Restaurant: Dairy, Meat, Produce a aaOceanaire Seafood Room: Dairy, Meat, Produce a aaRon Mar Foods: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a aSentyrz Grocery: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a aSeward Co-op: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a aSignature Café and Catering: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a aSpoonriver/Café Brenda: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Frozen a aa a a aSunshine Factory: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Frozen a aa aSwanson Meats: Meat aTejas Restaurant: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Dry/Processed a aa aTooties on Lowry: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Frozen a aa a aWedge Community Co-op: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a a

IsantiCity Center Market: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a a

KandiyohiKandi Cupboard Food Co-op: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a

KoochichingI.H. Stewart Inc/Super One Foods: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a a

MarshallNatural Way Mills: Food-Grade Grains aTR Jobbing, Inc: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a a

McLeodGlenn’s Super Value Foods: Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen aa a a a a

MeekerNatural Food Co-op: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a

MowerBrownlow’s Red Owl: Dairy, Produce, Non-Food a a aGrass and Sons Seed, Inc: Food-Grade Grains a

NicolletSt. Peter Food Co-op: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a

OlmsteadThe Good Food Store Co-op: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a a

OttertailAll Things Natural: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a aDean’s Country Market: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Frozen a aa a a a

RamseyBergin Fruit and Nut Company: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed a aa a aCeres Organic Harvest/Organic Grain and Milling: Food-Grade Grains, Feed-Grade Grains a aCo-op Partners Warehouse: Dairy, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Frozen a a a a aHeartland Restaurant: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a aKozlak's Royal Oak Restaurant: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Dry/Processed, Frozen a aa a a

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listing by county

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La Cucaracha Restaurante: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a aNorthland Organic Foods Corp: Food-Grade Grains, Feed-Grade Grains a aSysco Minnesota: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a aTanpopo Noodle Shop: Meat, Produce, Dry/Processed, Frozen aa a aTim and Tom's Speedy Market: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a aTrotter's Café: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Dry/Processed, Frozen a aa a aWhole Foods Market: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Frozen a aa a a a

RedwoodTersteeg’s: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a

RiceJust Food Co-op: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a a

St. LouisNatural Harvest Food Co-op: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a aWhole Foods Co-op: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a a

StearnsGohmann’s Foods: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli a aa aGood Earth Food Co-op: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a aPride of Main Street Dairy: Dairy, Dry/Processed a a

SteeleSunOpta Grains and Foods Group: Food-Grade Grains, Feed-Grade Grains a a

StevensPomme de Terre Food Co-op: Dairy, Meat, Dry/Processed, Non-food, Frozen a a a a a

SwiftBenson Bakery and Coffee Shop: Produce, Dry/Processed a aDo-Mat’s, Inc.: Dairy, Produce, Dry/Processed a a aFalk’s Seed Farm Inc.: Food-Grade Grains, Feed-Grade Grains a a

ToddEverybody’s Market Food Co-op: Dairy, Produce, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a a a a a

WabashaSoutheast Minnesota Food Network: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a

WadenaBuckwheat Growers of Minnesota: Feed-Grade Grains aHelling’s Food Inc.: Dairy, Produce, Dry/Processed, Frozen a a a a

WashingtonKowalski’s Markets: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a aRiver Market Community Co-op: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Non-Food, Frozen a aa a a a a

WilkinRichland Organics, Inc.: Food-Grade Grain a

WinonaBluff Country Co-op: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Dry/Processed, Frozen a aa a a aSignatures Restaurant and Visions Event Center: Dairy, Meat, Produce, Deli, Frozen a aa a a

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listing by county