From Farm to Table: 5 Ways Grand Forks Feeds the Nation

Passersby may drive through our region of the world and see no more than the naturally flat land laid out in uniform mile by mile grids on their way to the destination somewhere else. To us, these exceptionally fertile fields provide the income for our families, our sense of environmental stewardship, and a source of pride for the area farm families and all those whom they employ. The main staples of the area include wheat, barley, sugar beets, soybeans, corn and edible beans, but we’ve been tinkering with the introduction of purpose-specific crops such as malting barley and even the ever-industrious hemp!

In this listicle, I’m going to touch on a few of the plethora of places the agricultural products of the Grand Forks region end up and how you may have already enjoyed them in your busy life.

As one of the Red River Valley’s largest employers, American Crystal Sugar Company is an integral pillar of the society of the region.  Five locations in Drayton, ND; East Grand Forks, MN;  Crookston, MN; Hillsboro, ND; and Moorhead, MN reach from the northern to southern ends of the Red River Valley and utilize the sweetest of crops around: the sugar beet. ACSC supplies beet sugar to numerous producers of goodies ranging from the fizzle of Pepsi (in their “pure sugar” lineup), the sweet happiness of Hershey’s chocolate, and even in Quaker Oats packets!

Born from a 5th generation family farm founded in the late 19th century near Fisher, MN, Vertical Malt is a craft malting establishment specialized in producing high quality, homogenous malts for tasty brews and crisp distillations across the country. The barley for their numerous malts is grown right on their own farm, ensuring quality standards for quality malt from a basic lager to craft beers ranging from porters to IPAs and everything in between.

Vertical Malt malted barley can be found in local breweries such as Rhombus Guys Brewing and Half Brothers Brewing located in our very own downtown Grand Forks. They can also be found at regional brewers like Revelation Ale Works in Hallock, MN; Bemidji Brewing in Bemidji, MN; as well as the regionally famous Junkyard Brewing of Moorhead, MN.  Lately, Vertical Malt has increased their production capacity in order to fulfill orders to high quality breweries and home brews across the country!

Fun Fact:  North Dakota’s honeybees produced 38.6 BILLION pounds of honey in 2020 – the state’s 17th consecutive year at “beeing” the sweetest state in the colonies.

Local honey consumption from producers such as Dietzler Apiary of Larimore, ND or The Little Apiary in Hendrum, MN are thought to keep seasonal allergies of the Red River Valley at bay, help with digestion, and honey goes great on everything from bagels to chicken wings! So, next time you’re at the grocery store, check your honey label – you’ll likely find a North Dakota brand on it!

The North Dakota State Mill turns the highest quality wheat in the world into 3.8 million pounds of fluffy flour. Every. Single. Day. Over 80% of the flour made in Grand Forks is shipped out by rail and sold outside of the state to bakers and pasta makers. You can even find Dakota Maid premium flour, bread mixes, and pancake mixes on the local shelves of Hugos! The best part? It’s the only state-owned mill in the U.S. That means the profits from the mill get put back into the state’s economy, either by going to the North Dakota’s general fund to be used for projects throughout the state, or by being reinvested into the facility.

The next time you’re wandering the pasta aisle of your local grocery store, look for a box of Annie’s Mac & Cheese. There’s a good chance it was made at the Grand Forks Philadelphia Macaroni manufacturing plant. With over 160 employees, this facility pumps out a variety of pasta products for many different brands, all year long. In fact, one of it’s manufacturing lines can produce over 300 boxes of macaroni a minute!

This is just a taste of how our region’s agricultural producers feed the nation. I’m proud to be a third-generation farmer and hope to continue the rich history of working alongside other producers to grow the crops that become the products on tables across the country. This year, my family grew in a different way, with the addition of my daughter – she’s already learning how a John Deere works.