Food

Redhead Creamery

Idea to reality: Alise Sjostrom had dreamed of owning a creamery since high school. In the spring of 2014, she and husband Lucas began production at their artisan cheese making plant in Brooten, Minnesota. AURI’s role: AURI provided cost-share assistance for scale-up and product development, pre-engineering related costs, and product analysis and nutritional fact labels. AURI also served as a resource for other needs as they arose, such as calibrating… Continue Reading Redhead Creamery

Ferndale Market

Idea to reality: Develop gourmet, fresh turkey sausages to expand Ferndale Market’s line of turkey products. AURI’s role: AURI provided formulations, nutritional paneling and labeling. AURI staff also helped identify appropriate processors and worked with the processors to develop specifications for each new product. Outcomes: Three different turkey sausage formulations were successfully developed and are currently marketed to numerous retail stores across the state as well as at Ferndale’s on-farm… Continue Reading Ferndale Market

Smude’s Sunflower Oil

Idea: After the hot, dry summer of 2007 took a toll on Tom Smude’s corn and soybean crops, he learned that hardy sunflower plants could thrive in such adverse conditions, and he began to explore the idea of producing sunflower oil. AURI’s role: Nutritional analysis, product development, troubleshooting and innovation networking. Outcomes: Today, Smude’s is on shelves in major grocery chains, has a loyal customer base, is expanding its offerings to include flavor-infused sunflower… Continue Reading Smude’s Sunflower Oil