12
ATTRA is the national sustainable agriculture information service, operated by the National Center for Appropriate Technology through a grant from the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. These organizations do not recommend or endorse products, companies, or individuals. NCAT has offices in Fayetteville, Arkansas (P.O. Box 3657, Fayetteville, AR 72702), Butte, Montana, and Davis, California. By Janet Bachmann and Lance Gegner NCAT Agriculture Specialists November 2002 Abstract: Value-added processing is a strategy used by some grain growers to keep their farming operations viable. This publication introduces ideas that have worked for some farmers, provides sources for equipment, and lists sources of further information. GRAIN PROCESSING: ADDING VALUE TO FARM PRODUCTS VALUE-ADDED TECHNICAL NOTE INTRODUCTION NTRODUCTION NTRODUCTION NTRODUCTION NTRODUCTION Farmers who grow oats, wheat, rye, bar- ley, corn, and other grains are looking for ways to command better prices. But while many farmers dream of getting a share of the value that is added to their crop after it leaves the farm, only a few actually succeed. Those who do increase their profits through on-farm pro- cessing generally don’t get there quickly or easily (Kessler, 1989). Adding value requires doing more work, investing in additional sup- plies and equipment, possibly hiring more help, and definitely dealing with additional rules and regulations. The following examples of grain farmers who have gone into a variety of processing enterprises are just that: examples. They are presented not to suggest a specific blueprint but to give ideas about what can be done. FIRS IRS IRS IRS IRST, LEARN EARN EARN EARN EARN ABOUT ABOUT ABOUT ABOUT ABOUT REGUL EGUL EGUL EGUL EGULATIONS TIONS TIONS TIONS TIONS Hilgendorf’s Whole Grain Milling Company, just outside Welcome, Min- nesota, is an example of a successful on-farm milling operation. Lyn and Doug Hilgendorf have been farming or- Table of Contents Introduction ................................................. 1 First, Learn about Regulations .................... 1 Whole-grain Flour ....................................... 2 Additional Products ..................................... 3 Animal Feed ................................................ 4 Cooperatives .............................................. 5 Educational and Training Resources .......... 6 Summary .................................................... 7 Further Resources ...................................... 7 References ............................................... 10 Appendix ................................................... 10 ©www.ClipArt.com2002

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ATTRA is the national sustainable agriculture information service, operated by the National Centerfor Appropriate Technology through a grant from the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, U.S.Department of Agriculture. These organizations do not recommend or endorse products, companies,or individuals. NCAT has offices in Fayetteville, Arkansas (P.O. Box 3657, Fayetteville, AR 72702),Butte, Montana, and Davis, California.

By Janet Bachmann and Lance GegnerNCAT Agriculture SpecialistsNovember 2002

Abstract: Value-added processing is a strategy used by some grain growers to keep their farming operationsviable. This publication introduces ideas that have worked for some farmers, provides sources for equipment, andlists sources of further information.

GRAIN PROCESSING: ADDING

VALUE TO FARM PRODUCTS

VALUE-ADDED TECHNICAL NOTE

INTRODUCTIONNTRODUCTIONNTRODUCTIONNTRODUCTIONNTRODUCTION

Farmers who grow oats, wheat, rye, bar-ley, corn, and other grains are looking for waysto command better prices. But while manyfarmers dream of getting a share of the valuethat is added to their crop after it leaves thefarm, only a few actually succeed. Those whodo increase their profits through on-farm pro-cessing generally don’t get there quickly oreasily (Kessler, 1989). Adding value requiresdoing more work, investing in additional sup-plies and equipment, possibly hiring morehelp, and definitely dealing with additional rulesand regulations.

The following examples of grain farmers whohave gone into a variety of processing enterprisesare just that: examples. They are presented not

to suggest a specific blueprint but togive ideas about what can be done.

FIRSIRSIRSIRSIRSTTTTT, LEARNEARNEARNEARNEARN

ABOUTABOUTABOUTABOUTABOUT

REGULEGULEGULEGULEGULAAAAATIONSTIONSTIONSTIONSTIONS

Hilgendorf’s Whole Grain MillingCompany, just outside Welcome, Min-nesota, is an example of a successfulon-farm milling operation. Lyn andDoug Hilgendorf have been farming or-

Table of ContentsIntroduction ................................................. 1First, Learn about Regulations .................... 1Whole-grain Flour ....................................... 2Additional Products ..................................... 3Animal Feed ................................................ 4Cooperatives .............................................. 5Educational and Training Resources .......... 6Summary .................................................... 7Further Resources ...................................... 7References ............................................... 10Appendix ................................................... 10

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he says, with a chuckle. “I motorized it rightaway. Then I answered an ad for a mill thatwould ‘make cake flour with your own grain.’I got one of them and it speeded up the pro-cess.” Then someone referred him to a bakerythat used whole-wheat flour.

He is now using a mill that runs off a trac-tor, “bought used and rebuilt to serve the pur-pose.” The flour is packaged in 50-poundfood-grade paper bags, which he says can befound in any large city. In regard to wheatvarieties, Larry says he is using an old standbyvariety. He advises would-be flour makers toexperiment to find the right variety for theirown markets. “Grind a gallon of each [of sev-eral varieties] and go to the baker [with theflour] to find what works well for them. Stay

with that variety so that the flour will be consis-

tent for the baker from batch to batch.” (Nordhus,1999)

Another Kansas couple who started home-scale grain grinding that grew into a business areGerry and Larry Yost. In an interview a numberof years ago for The Furrow (Kessler, 1989), Gerrytold about the many details that needed atten-tion: “I didn’t have any trouble coming up witha name and a logo, but after that, I really didn’tknow where to begin. Fortunately, I’ve been ableto find a number of people with answers whohave been willing to help me. But even with that,there are so many decisions to make and detailsto work out that it’s almost overwhelming.” Thetask list included:

ganically for about 15 years. Their crops includecorn, soybeans, oats, wheat, rye, and buckwheat.About ten years ago, Doug and hisbrother Ralph began to discuss process-ing and marketing their own grains.“The price of grain was below the costof production,” says Ralph. Grains arenow milled, mixed, and bagged on thefarm and sold to individuals, retail out-lets, and bakers. Ralph notes that sincethe products are for human consump-tion, it is important to keep everythingclean—free of dust, cobwebs, and ro-dents. In regard to information sources,Ralph said that some could be found inthe public library and others throughthe local Extension Service. However,he strongly advises anyone consideringprocessing to talk with state Depart-ment of Agriculture officials first to learn aboutregulations (Hilgendorf, 1999).

WHOLEHOLEHOLEHOLEHOLE-GRAINGRAINGRAINGRAINGRAIN

FLOURLOURLOURLOURLOUR

Larry Nordhus, a Kansas wheat, corn, andsoybean grower, has been grinding whole-wheatflour for “10 or 15 years.” He grinds the wholeberry, including bran and germ. He says hestarted out doing a little bit for relatives for theirhome baking. “I started with a hand-crank mill,”

Evaluating a Rural EnterpriseAdding Value to Farm Products: An OverviewDirect MarketingKeys to Success in Value-Added AgricultureOrganic Marketing Resources“Green” Markets for Farm ProductsEco-Labeled Foods: Profit or Problems?Marketing Organic GrainsMoving Beyond Conventional Cash CroppingOrganic Livestock Feed SuppliersAlternative Agronomic Crops

Related ATTRA publications:

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• Remodeling a room, making changes to com-ply with health department regulations

• Modifying two kitchen food mills to handle alarger volume of grain

• Locating weighing and packaging equipment• Finding someone to design a logo• Getting labels printed• Lining up a packaging supplier

Gerry advises starting out with a top-qualityproduct, preferably one that has some featurethat sets it apart from the competition. The Gra-nary, as she calls her enterprise, sells only wheat,farm-grown without insecticides. All of the grainis thoroughly cleaned at a nearby elevator, thentested at a private laboratory to make sure itsprotein content and baking quality meet Gerry’sstandards.

Her primary product is whole-wheat flourpackaged in 2– and 5–pound plastic bags. Whole-kernel wheat, a cracked-wheat cereal, and a com-bination pancake-and-waffle mix Yost developedherself complete her product line. Each item isalso packaged in smaller plastic bags and deco-rated glass jars for sale as gifts. Recipes and tipsfor storing whole-wheat products are includedwith each item. They are sold in stores and giftshops in north-central Kansas.

ADDITIONALDDITIONALDDITIONALDDITIONALDDITIONAL

PRODUCTSRODUCTSRODUCTSRODUCTSRODUCTS

David Vetter returned to his family’s 280-acrefarm in 1975 intending to grow grains organically(Vetter, 1999; Cramer, 1993). Dave soon realizedthat to really succeed as an organic grain farmer,learning to grow organically was only half thebattle. He’d also have to help develop the pro-cessing and marketing infrastructure to deliverthose grains to consumers. In 1980, Dave andhis father, Don, invested $170,000 to build a smallgrain-cleaning plant. The operation has growninto Grain Place Foods, Inc., employing 13 peoplefull time to grow, clean, process, package, andmarket grains and beans for its own line of prod-ucts as well as for other food companies.

The facility includes grain storage with forced-air drying capability; a state-of-the-art gas-firedinfrared processing toaster (to stabilize the oilsin the grains); bagging, packaging, and labelingequipment; and a refrigerated warehouse. GrainPlace Foods products include:• Ready-for-retail and bulk flaked cereals and

mixes, including rolled oats, wheat, barley,rye, rice, triticale, spelt, kamut, and soybeans

• Microwave and regular popcorn• Organic livestock-feed ingredients, including

full-fat soymeal, cracked corn, and crimpedoats and barley

• Organic birdfeedsAlthough the business was initially conceived

as a way to add value to grains grown on theirown farm, Dave says they now grow only 3 to5% of the grains processed. Additional grain ispurchased from organic farmers from as far awayas Canada and Nicaragua.

In regard to the difference between the pricethat farmers receive for their grain and the retailprice of the final product, Dave says, “Sometimesthey think they are being gouged. But that’s be-cause few of them are aware of the costs andwork that go into cleaning, processing, packag-ing, and marketing.” He cites some examples:• The labeling machine that prints lot numbers

and expiration dates on packages costs aboutthe same as a used, mid-sized tractor in goodcondition.

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• Nutrient analyses to comply with FDA nutri-tional labeling requirements cost from $500to $6,000 per product. The costs of organiccertification, licensing, permitting, and plantand scale inspections all add up. To satisfybuyers’ requirements, the farm and process-ing plant have been certified by as many asfive different groups.

• Economies of scale determine the cost of dis-tribution. “It costs 15 to 30cents a pound to ship a pal-let. But I can send a semi-load for less than six cents apound.”Dave emphasizes that high

quality is important. “Post-har-vest handling and storagepresent a big opportunity forfarmers to improve quality, andthey’ll be rewarded in the mar-ketplace,” he says. “Most of thepremium is for the extra care and service youprovide that high-quality product.”

Dave strongly encourages anyone consider-ing starting a value-added business to take theUniversity of Nebraska’s “From Product-to-Profit” course offered through the Food Process-ing Center Business Development Office (see Edu-cational Training Resources). He says it is thebest entrepreneur-training program in the U.S.Of those who complete the course and then starttheir own business, 80% are successful, comparedto a national average of only 8%. He also notesthat of those who take the introductory course,80% decide not to go into a value-added busi-ness.

ANIMALNIMALNIMALNIMALNIMAL FEEDEEDEEDEEDEED

Animal feed production is another niche forgrain growers. The Vermont Organic Grain Com-pany was founded as a result of Gerry Coleman’ssearch for organic feed grain (Kittredge, 1995).To put the story in a nutshell: Gerry and otherswere looking for a bulk storage facility and foundan abandoned grain mill instead. “We weren’tlooking for a facility like this. But we turned thisup and said, ‘Bingo!’ There’s a need for organic

feed. More people than us would want it. Maybethis is what we should do. It has taken muchlonger than we ever anticipated. I learned a lotmore about business than I ever wanted to know;we’re not business people. We’re farmers whoare trying to get this thing started because wethink there’s a need for it.”

The mill has its own siding platform where arailroad car or truck can dump feed into a chute.

There an auger picks it up andcarries it to a bucket elevator thatcan take the grain anywhere in-side. Counting the outside bins,the mill can store about 20traincar loads in a number of dif-ferent storage hoppers. Thisgives the facility a lot of flexibil-ity in creating custom mixes. Themill has a full range of internalequipment: grinders, mixers,baggers, and equipment to

steam, cool, and pelletize feed. It has chutesabove the truck loading area and a scale to weighvehicles. A platform next to the bagging stationalso facilitates truck loading.

Freshness is a primary concern—once a grainis ground, it starts to oxidize. Another difficultyis state regulations. “You have to register feedin each state where you sell it,” Gerry explains.“You have to tell the department of agriculturethere exactly what’s in it: protein, fat, fiber, etc.So there has to be enough volume for a mix in astate to pay the registration fee there.”

A similar operation is that of Mel Gelsingerin Robesonia, Pennsylvania (Cicero, 1995). WhenMel switched from conventional to organic pro-duction, he had trouble finding outlets for muchof his organic corn, soybeans, and small grains.Then he met some farmers who wanted to raisetheir livestock organically but couldn’t find or-ganic feed. For six years, he sold whole corn andsoybeans, and the farmers did their own milling.Then he was convinced to put up a mill. Hisfully computerized mill and storage bins cost$320,000. The mill became operational in 1982,with his own crops accounting for only three per-cent of his milling volume. It supplies feed forbroiler operations, dairy and beef cows, horses,and exotic livestock.

“We’re farmers who aretrying to get this thingstarted because wethink there’s a need forit.”

Gerry Coleman

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COOPERAOOPERAOOPERAOOPERAOOPERATIVESTIVESTIVESTIVESTIVES

More than 1,000 North Dakota, Minnesota,and Montana wheat farmers joined forces to forma cooperative to turn their top-quality hard am-ber durum wheat into pasta. The Dakota Grow-ers Pasta Company in Carrington, North Dakota,produces and markets spaghetti, linguine,fettuccine, macaroni elbows, and egg noodles.The company shipped its first product in Decem-ber 1993; it is now the third-largest pasta com-pany in the U.S. The farmer-owners’ initial in-vestment of $12-million dollars (based on bush-els delivered, minimum 1,500 bushels) was usedto raise the $42–million capital investment thatbuilt the mill and pasta plant. A nine-memberboard of directors, all active farmers, overseesall aspects of the business. In May 2002, the mem-bers of the cooperative voted to change to a com-mon stock corporation. For additional informa-tion about Dakota Growers Pasta Company, visit<http://www.dakotagrowers.com/>.

Liz Reinhiller, who works with the DakotaGrowers Pasta Company, says that the coopera-tive concept is a good one. If farmers who havea crop that is special to their area can get togetherand can find a market, they can put together abusiness plan and build a solid business team.She notes that some ventures have failed becausethey didn’t have a good marketing or businessplan, and may not have had a good managementteam with the best interests of the growers inmind (Reinhiller, 1999).

The Mountain View Harvest wheat growers’cooperative in Colorado has gotten into the whole-sale bakery trade with “par-baked” (partiallybaked) breads (Campbell, 1997). This is a grow-ing segment of the baking industry, in whichbreads and rolls are baked to within ten percentof completion, then flash-frozen and shipped torestaurants. Critical to the birth of MountainView Harvest was a grant from USDA Rural Busi-ness and Cooperative Development Service for abusiness feasibility study. Members had someideas for products, but they knew they needed athorough marketing study to find out what wastruly promising. Grower-members raised $5-million of the $6-million needed to purchase a

bakery and grain elevator, thus minimizing theamount of borrowed money needed.

For producers exploring the possibility offorming a marketing cooperative, the best sourceof information is USDA’s Rural Business andCooperative Development Service (RBCDS). TheRBCDS helps farmers and rural residents formcooperative businesses and improve the opera-tions of existing cooperatives. They provide tech-nical assistance, conduct cooperative–related re-search, and provide informational products topromote public understanding of cooperatives.For additional information contact:

USDA/RBCDS Cooperative ServicesAG Box 3255Washington, DC 20250-3255(202) 720–7558e-mail: [email protected]://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/csdir.htm

USDA/RBS PublicationsAvailable from ATTRA

(call 1-800-346-9140 to receive a copy)

Cooperative Services: What We Do,

How We Work

How to Start a Cooperative

Small Fresh Fruit & Vegetable

Cooperative Operations

Understanding Cooperatives: Ag

Marketing Cooperatives

Cooperative Feasibility Study Guide

Cooperative Farm Bargaining & Price

Negotiations

Cooperative Marketing Agencies-in-

Common

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EDUCDUCDUCDUCDUCAAAAATIONTIONTIONTIONTIONALALALALAL ANDANDANDANDAND

TRAININGRAININGRAININGRAININGRAINING

RESOURCESESOURCESESOURCESESOURCESESOURCES

A 2001 award from the USDA created the Ag-ricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC).The AgMRC brings together experts from fourof the nation’s leading agricultural universities—Iowa State University, Kansas State University,the University of California, and Oklahoma StateUniversity—into an electronically based center tocollect and interpret information about value-added agriculture. The AgMRC will create anelectronic hub that connects producers and busi-nesses to knowledge, research, organizations,business resources, and ongoing activities in theagricultural sector. The Center has an online di-rectory listing value-added state resources (SeeFurther Resources: Websites).

Many state land-grant university departmentsof food science and state departments of agricul-ture are good places to begin gathering informa-tion. Some states have specific agricultural de-velopment centers to assist their producers indeveloping new agricultural products and mar-kets for adding value to their farm products (seeFurther Resources: Some State Sources of Value-Added and Development Information).

The Nebraska Food Processing Center Busi-ness Development Office has an Entrepreneur As-sistance Program that offers the “Recipe to Real-ity” seminar, “Product to Profit” individualizedconsultation, and additional assistance to helpexisting businesses expand into new markets. Forinformation about these and other services, con-tact Arlis Burney at:

Nebraska Food Processing BusinessDevelopment OfficeUniversity of Nebraska–Lincoln60 Filley HallLincoln, NE 68583–0928(402) 472–8930, Fax: (402) 472–8831http://www.fpc.unl.edu/

The Northern Crops Institute is a collabora-tive effort among North Dakota, Minnesota, Mon-

tana, and South Dakota for promotion and mar-ket development of crops grown in the four-stateregion. The Institute provides educationalcourses, customized training, and technical as-sistance in many value-added, processing, andmarketing areas for northern crops.

Northern Crops InstituteBolley DriveFargo, ND 58105–5183(701) 231–7736http://www.northern-crops.comThe American Institute of Baking is a non-

profit center for education and research that of-fers correspondence courses, seminars, and cus-tomized training, as well as books and technicalbulletins on all aspects of baking.

American Institute of Baking1213 Bakers WayPO Box 3999Manhattan, KS 66505–3999(785) 537–4750, (800) 633–5137, Fax: (785)537–1493http://techserv.aibonline.orgKansas State University is the only univer-

sity in the world offering a four-year degree pro-gram in milling and a separate program in bak-ing. Dr. Dale Eustace, head of the Departmentof Milling, Kansas State University, offers thisadvice to farmers considering on-farm grain mill-ing:• Stay with whole-grain flour. A stone mill for

small- to medium-scale whole grain flour pro-duction can be purchased for $15,000 to$20,000. A stone mill will work well for mostpeople. You can adjust the stones to get theappropriate grind, experimenting to see whatsuits your market. A tabletop grinder can beused, but the capacity of these is low.

• To process wheat into white flour, a businesswould need to invest a million dollars or morefor the mill alone. Additional capital wouldbe needed for other components of the facil-ity.

• Call your state capital to find out who handlesregulations. In some states it is the depart-ment of agriculture. In other states it will beanother agency.Dr. Eustace is willing to talk with people who

call, and he can provide help specific to your situ-ation. He can be contacted at:

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Dr. Dale EustaceDepartment of MillingKansas State UniversityManhattan, KS 66506(785) 532–4063e-mail: [email protected]

SUMMARUMMARUMMARUMMARUMMARYYYYY

Resources for specific information on grainprocessing are fairly scarce and hard to find. Mostof the farmers interviewed developed their prod-ucts through their own trials and errors. Valuecan be added to grains in many different ways,resulting in the development of new products orthe improvement of existing ones. Anyone in-terested in starting a food processing businesshas to spend a great deal of time looking for in-formation on such topics as federal and stateregulations, labeling, ingredients, packaging, fi-nancing, and marketing.

FURTHERURTHERURTHERURTHERURTHER

RESOURCESESOURCESESOURCESESOURCESESOURCES

WEBSITES

Agricultural Marketing Resource Centerhttp://www.agmrc.org/

The Agriculture Marketing Resource Centercollects and interprets information about value-added agriculture. The Center is creating anelectronic hub that connects producers andbusinesses to knowledge, research,organizations, business guidance, and ongoingactivities in the agricultural sector. The Centerhas an online directory listing value-added stateresources.

Mary Holz-Clause101B EES Building/Haber RoadAmes, IA 50011(515) 294–0648, Fax: (515) 294–0684e-mail: [email protected]

or

Don Hofstrand2023 S. Federal Ave.Mason City, IA 50401(641) 423–0844, Fax: (641) 423–2642e-mail: [email protected]

USDA Farmer Direct Marketinghttp://www.ams.usda.gov/directmarketing/index.htm

USDA Farmer Direct Marketing website is anexcellent source of publications, resources, andlinks to direct marketing materials. It also has aFarmers Market Directory and a DirectMarketing Resources by State listing.

University of Georgia Extensionhttp://www.ces.uga.edu/pubcd/b1051-w.html

Online publication Getting Started in the FoodSpecialty Business.

Illinois Institute for Rural Affairshttp://www.iira.org/pubsnew/publications/IVARDC_Other_5.pdf

Online publication Starting a Value-AddedAgribusiness: The Legal Perspective.

Minnesota Department of Agriculturehttp://www.mda.state.mn.us/dairyfood/startingfoodbiz.pdf

Fifty-six page online publication Starting a FoodBusiness in Minnesota.

North Dakota State University Extensionhttp://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/agecon/market/ec1137w.htm

Online publication Developing a New Co-Owned Agricultural Business: How Do WeStart a Value-Added Firm?

University of Tennessee Extensionhttp://www.utextension.utk.edu/pbfiles/pb1399.pdf

Online publication Getting Started in a FoodManufacturing Business in Tennessee.

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Wisconsin New Farm Optionshttp://www.uwex.edu/ces/agmarkets/

A web-resource from University of WisconsinExtension that provides information about newniche markets and business start-up issues, andabout others like you who are pioneering newfarm-food ventures.

BOOKS

Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization(ECHO) on-line Book Store:

Traditional Foods: Processing for Profit.1997. Peter Fellows, editor. $45.00.Deals in part one with basic concepts of hygiene,processing methods, and quality assurance. Parttwo covers all kinds of processed foods.Emphasis is placed on quality-control aspects ofraw-material selection, processing, andpackaging.

Small-Scale Milling. 1994. By Lars-OveJonsson, David A. V. Dendy, KarenWellings, and Varis Bokalders. 129 p.$29.50.Essential reading for anyone involved in themilling of cereals in developing countries; targetreader is the extension agent promotingimproved small-scale milling. It coverstechnical, economic, social, and nutritional/health aspects of milling.

Starting a Small Food ProcessingEnterprise. 1996. By Peter Fellows, ErnestoFranco, and Walter Rios. 123 p. $15.00.Brings together important aspects of both thetechnological and business skills needed to startand operate a small food–processing businesssuccessfully. The emphasis is on thoroughplanning before the enterprise is established andthen on careful control of production tominimize costs and maintain the desired productquality.

Baking for Profit. 2000. By George Bathie.124 p. $17.50.Intended to help people establish a successfulbakery business or improve an existing smallbakery. Takes the reader, step by step, throughthe stages of market research to establishevidence of a need for a bakery business in aparticular location, and methods for determiningthe likelihood of success.

Order from:Educational Concerns for HungerOrganization (ECHO)17391 Durrance RoadNorth Fort Myers, FL 33917(239) 543–3246, Fax: (239) 543–5317http://echonet.org/shopsite_sc/store/html/foodprocessing.html

Volunteers in Technical Assistance(VITA) publications (see their completecatalog at http://www.vita.org/publi-cations/pubcat.htm).

Small Scale Maize Milling. VITAPublication. 143 p. $16.50.Describes various milling techniques forproduction of whole meal, bolted meal,and super-sifted meal. Covers allprocessing stages.

Grain Mill for Home Use. By WalterB. Booker. VITA Publication. 9 p.$5.25.Easy-to-build wooden grinder for corn,wheat, and other grains.

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Home Flour Mill. By Walter B. Booker.VITA Publication. 14 p. $5.25.This mill is made almost entirely of wood.Powered by a 1/4-hp electric motor, by windpower, or by hand.

Order from:PACT Publications1200 18th Street, NWWashington, DC 20036(202) 466–5666, Fax: (202) 466–5669email: [email protected]://www.pactpublications.com

OTHER BOOKS

The following books are available from book-stores and online booksellers. If a book is listedas out-of-print, you may be able to obtain itthrough Interlibrary Loan; check with your locallibrarian. You may also be able to buy a copythrough an online used-book search site, such as<http://www.bookfinder.com/>.

Small-Scale Grain Raising. 1977. By GeneLogsdon. Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA. 305p. Out-of-print.Covers production aspects of a large number ofgrains, including corn, wheat, sorghum, oats,and soybeans. Also provides information onharvesting, storage, grinding, and cooking.Three basic kinds of grinders are described: 1)burr mills with either stone or steel burrs, 2) theroller mill, and 3) the hammer mill. Of thethree, Logsdon favors the burr or gristmill forgrinding flour. He says that none of the wholegrain is lost in a burr mill, and generallyspeaking, it grinds finer, although you may haveto run your meal through it twice to get thefinest flour.

Adding Value for Sustainability: AGuidebook for Cooperative ExtensionAgents and Other AgriculturalProfessionals. 1998. By Kristen Markleyand Duncan Hilchey. 110 p. DIANEPublishing Company.Discusses the concept of value-added processingand how it contributes to sustainableagriculture, introduces four enterprise ownerswho share their experiences in small-scaleprocessing, and presents a description of issuesinvolved in the start-up of a business.

The Bread Builders: Hearth Loaves andMasonry Ovens. 1999. By Daniel Wingand Alan Scott. 253 p. Chelsea GreenPublishing Co., White River Junction, VT.Provides information about making old-fashioned naturally fermented hearth or artisanloaves of bread, and how to plan, build, andoperate masonry ovens.

SOME STATE SOURCES OF VALUE-ADDED

AND DEVELOPMENT INFORMATION

California Small Farm CenterUniversity of CaliforniaOne Shields AvenueDavis, CA 95616-8699(530) 752–8136, Fax: (530) 752–7716http://www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/

Iowa Center for Crops Utilization ResearchDr. Lawrence Johnson1041 Food Science BuildingIowa State UniversityAmes, IA 50011(515) 294–0160, Fax: (515) 294–6261http://www.ag.iastate.edu/centers/ccur/

Illinois Value-Added Rural DevelopmentCenterIllinois Institute for Rural AffairsStipes Hall 5041 University CircleMacomb, IL 61455309 298-2674 or 800 526-9943http://www.value-added.org/

Kansas Technology Enterprise Center214 SW 6th, First FloorTopeka, KS 66047(785) 296–5272, Fax: (785) 296–1160http://www.ktec.com/erc/

Minnesota Agricultural Utilization ResearchInstituteMichael SparbyPO Box 599Crookston, MN 56716–0599(800) 279–5010http://www.auri.org

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Cicero, Karen. 1993. Feed for the east (coast).The New Farm. November–December.p. 35–38.

Cramer, Craig. 1993. Shooting for the highestaverage. The New Farm. November–December. p. 26–29.

Hilgendorf, Ralph. 1999. Personalcommunication. Welcome, MN.

Kessler, Karl. 1989. Starting small, thinkingbig. The Furrow. November–December.p. 16–17.

Kittredge, Jack. 1995. The Vermont organicgrain company. The Natural Farmer.Summer. p. 22–23.

Nordhus, Larry. 1999. Personalcommunication. Centralia, KS.

Reinhiller, Liz. Dakota Growers PastaCompany, One Pasta Ave., P.O. Box 21,Carrington, ND 58421–0021, (701) 652–2855.

Vetter, David. 1999. Personal communication.Marquette, NE.

APPENDIXPPENDIXPPENDIXPPENDIXPPENDIX

RESOURCES FOR FINDING CLEANING AND

PROCESSING EQUIPMENT

Processfood.com200 Daingerfield RoadAlexandria, VA 22314(703) 684–1080, Fax: (703) 548–6563http://www.fpmsa.org/productLocator/bakery/index.cfmAn online search of bakery equipment, suppliers,and services provided by the Food ProcessingMachinery and Supplies Association(FPM&SA), a non-profit trade associationfounded in 1885 to provide a business linkbetween food & beverage processors andsuppliers.

Missouri Value Added Development Center143 Mumford HallDepartment of Ag EconomicsUniversity of MissouriColumbia, MO 65211–6200(877) ValueAdd (824–8233), Fax: (573) 884–6572http://valueadded.missouri.edu/index.htm

Nebraska Cooperative Development CenterJo LoweThe Atrium Bldg.1200 “N” St., Suite 610Lincoln, NE 68508-2022(402) 471–2698, Fax: (402) 471–8690Toll-Free (877) 814–4707 or (877) 496–5235for NE onlyhttp://www.rdc.state.ne.us/coop/

North Dakota Marketplace of IdeasHeadquartersMarilyn K. Kipp, Executive Director411 Main Street WestMandan, ND 58554-3164(888) 384–8410, (701) 663–0150, Fax: (701)663–1032http://www.marketplaceofideas.com/

Oklahoma Food and Agricultural ProductsResearch and Technology Center148 FAPCOklahoma State UniversityStillwater, OK 74078–6055http://www.okstate.edu/ag/fapc/

Tennessee Agricultural DevelopmentCenterUniversity of Tennessee307 Morgan HallKnoxville, TN 37996-4521(865) 974–3824, Fax: (865) 974–9492http://www.utextension.utk.edu/adc

REFERENCESEFERENCESEFERENCESEFERENCESEFERENCES

Campbell, Dan. 1997. Show me the dough.Rural Cooperatives. May–June. p. 24–26.

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GrainNet3065 N. Pershing CourtDecatur, IL 62526(800) 728–7511, Fax: (217) 877–6647http://www.MillingEquipment.comAn online Milling Equipment Buyer’s Guidethat allows searches by company or by productsand services.

Seed World380 E. Northwest Hwy.Des Plaines, IL 60016–2282(847) 298–6622, Fax: (847) 390–0408Seed World is published monthly with an extraissue in April. The U.S. subscription rate is$30/year. The Annual Buyer’s Guide includescontact information for suppliers of bag-closingequipment, bag-filling machines, bags, bins,blowers, cleaners, etc.

Implement & Tractor™2302 West 1st StreetCedar Falls, IA 50623–1879(800) 959–3276, Fax: (319) 277–3783Implement & Tractor™ is published bimonthlywith an extra issue in December. Subscriptionrate is $30/year. Their Ag Equipment Buyer’sDesk Reference includes listing and contactinformation for many various types of mills,cleaners, etc.

FeedstuffsCirculation Department191 S. Gary Ave.Carol Stream, IL 60188(800) 441–1410, (630) 462–2224Feedstuffs Annual Reference Issue containsdirectories for companies supplying goods andservices to the feed and feeding industries,association and grain inspection agencies, and alisting of products and services. ReferenceIssues are available for $40.

CLEANING AND PROCESSING EQUIPMENT

MANUFACTURERS AND SUPPLIERS

Meadows Mills, Inc.1352 W. D StreetPO Box 1288North Wilkesboro, NC 28659(800) 626–2282, (336) 838–2282, Fax: (336)667–6501

http://www.meadowsmills.comManufactures stone burr mills, or gristmills,ranging from 50 to 1250 lbs. per hour capacity,along with other related bakery equipment.

The CS Bell Co.170 West Davis StreetPO Box 291Tiffin, OH 44883(419) 448–0791, Fax: (419) 448–1203http://www.csbellco.comProducts include hammer mills and burr orgristmills, and corn shellers. The hammer millsare recommended for livestock and poultry feedpreparation, grinding yard waste for compost, orfruit, vegetable, and grain processing for tableuse.

Schmidt Flour, Inc.Box 99Maple Creek, Saskatchewan S0N 1N0(306) 666–4800, Fax: (306) 666–4838http://www.schmidtflourinc.comFlour mills ranging in scale from 200 to 4000lbs. per hour, and a debranner.

Forsbergs, Inc.PO Box 5101210 Pennington AvenueThief River Falls, MN 56701(800) 654–1927, (218) 681–1927, Fax: (218)681–2037http://forsbergs.comGravity and screen separators, destoners, andhullers/scarifiers.

Seedburo Equipment Company1022 W. Jackson Blvd.Chicago, IL 60607(800) 284–5779, (312) 738–3700, Fax: (312)738–5329http://www.seedburo.comMachinery and equipment for small-scaleplanting, harvesting, cleaning, and grinding ofgrains; some equipment specially designed forresearch and quality control. Catalog availableon request.

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Kansas Wind Power13569 214th RoadHolton, KS 66436(785) 364–4407http://www.kansaswindpower.net/Grain_Mills.htmSource of various styles of grain mills.

The Country Baker8751 N. 850 ESyracuse, IN 46567(866) THE–BAKER, (219) 834–2134, Fax:(219) 834–3993http://www.countrybaker.com/cataloglist.cfmSmall-scale professional baking equipment andgrain mills.

C.F. ResourcesPO Box 405Kit Carson, CO 89825(719) 962-3228http://www.cfamilyresources.comSmall-scale professional baking equipment andgrain mills.

Lehman’sDept. 2-KNKBox 41Kidron, OH 44636(888) 438–5346, (330) 857–5757http://www.Lehmans.comLook under Kitchen Implements for the millsand other equipment. Catalog is $3.

Country Living14727C 56th Avenue NWStanwood, WA 98292(360) 652–0671http://countrylivinggrainmills.comManual and electric table grain mills.

K-Tec Kitchen1206 South 1680 WestOrem, UT 84058(800) 748–5400 or (801) 222–0888http://www.k-tecusa.comOffers an electric-powered table mill to grindcorn, wheat, rice, soybeans, anything not wet orsticky, at rate of over 1 pound per minute.

R & R Mill Company, Inc.45 West First NorthSmithfield, UT 84335–0187(801) 563–3333Hand cranked and motorized mills, primarily forhome use.

GrainMakerWild West MachineRandy & Bonnie Jones370 Sharrot Hill LoopStevensville, MT 59870(800) 965–3075http://www.grainmaker.comHand cranked mills for home use.

Heartland Ag-Business Group1003 Central AvenueFort Dodge, IA 50501(800) 247–2000http://www.farmequipmentguide.comProvides a free-of-charge locating service for alltypes of used farm equipment and machinery.

The electronic version of GrainProcessing: Adding Value to FarmProducts is located at:HTMLhttp://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/grainpro.htmlPDFhttp://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/grainpro.pdf

By Janet Bachmann and Lance GegnerNCAT Agriculture Specialists

Edited by Richard EarlesFormatted by Gail Hardy

November 2002