by Kelli Wickard

What mom wants their child to eat an unhealthy breakfast? Not Sue Kakuk, founder of Kakookies!

When Sue found out that her daughter and her daughter’s friends were eating donuts before their collegiate cycling races, she took it upon herself to find a way to give nutritious breakfast on their big race days. Not only was it important to give her daughter a healthy breakfast, but also to provide something that was  convenient, individually wrapped and would fit easily in the back pockets of her daughter’s cycling jerseys. Sue started baking cookies and Kakookies was born.

        When she first started baking the cookies, Sue wanted to accommodate for needs of many people with dietary restrictions, so she began by substituting typical cookie ingredients for healthier alternatives, baking regular, gluten free, and vegan cookies. To her surprise, most people, vegan or not, chose to purchase the vegan cookie over any of the others. She took that information and ran with it. She said goodbye to the flour, dairy and eggs and added no other substitutes for these missing ingredients. Now, all of her cookies are completely vegan.

"This little red head is excited for Fresh Curd Friday!" WW Homestead Dairy wrote on their Facebook page on October 20, 2017.

by Kelli Boylen

In July 2017 WW Homestead Dairy, Waukon, Iowa, added the "Coffee Barn" to their existing retail store and ice cream parlor.

“There were no specialty coffee shops in Waukon and we felt that it would be a great complement to our ice cream parlor,” says Liz Murphy of WW Homestead Dairy.  “It also allows us to feature our milk and some great locally roasted coffees. Currently, we serve Verena Street Coffee out of Dubuque, Iowa and Impact Coffee out of Decorah, Iowa.”

In addition to their delicious ice cream, cheese, butter and milk, they now offer a full line of espresso drinks, fresh brewed coffee, tea, and seasonal options such as hot apple cider and hot chocolate made with their own chocolate milk.  

“The response has been great from the community and visitors passing through,” Liz says.

WW Homestead Dairy is a family-run dairy processing plant operated by the Walleser and Weighner families. They  began producing their first cheese curds the summer of 2011 and has since adopted the title of “The Cheese Curd Capital of Iowa.” All the milk used to produce their dairy products comes from the Walleser and Weighner family dairy farms, located in Allamakee County.

This past year they expanded their markets by working with colleges and schools, and are currently working on introducing cottage cheese into their product line.

by Elena Byrne

If you’re like me, you’ve dabbled a bit in the arena of Indian cooking, but let’s face it: it’s always daunting. It never seems quite as delectable as when experienced hands have made it, right? Perhaps it’s the fact that you may substitute a spice here and there, or skip a spice altogether because you couldn’t find it, or maybe it’s because the spices are old, having sat in the cupboard for a year.

That’s exactly why Flavor Temptations was created. Sara Parthasarathy first created the pre-measured meal kits because it pained her to know that her son, in college, was not cooking for himself. Now she works to help families cook together using her fresh spice packages along with ingredients you have on hand such as potatoes, canned chickpeas, and veggies of your choice. The step-by-step recipes are easy to follow and the results have been bringing customers back for more.

Flavor Boom

Sara and husband Partha have been growing their business since 2012 and they’ve come a long way, now in their second rented commercial kitchen where they measure and package their spices. They’re in their second round of packaging and have adapted the recipes now for institutional-size packs as well as the 2- and 4-serving retail packs.

They first attended the Feast! Local Foods Marketplace in 2016, where they were poised to grow and added two distributors as a result. Prior to Feast 2016 their recipe kits were in 28 stores, and a month following Feast they were in 60 stores.

By Kelli Wickard

Before you go to Walmart, Target, or any other big-box store, think about the impact of your purchases—think about helping your city grow.

Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy, and it’s important that we support them and inform people that they are there. An example of a small business that survives off of the support of the community is a food co-op. The initial reason that food co-ops were formed was for the community to have access to healthy, fresh and delicious food with less environmental impact and reduced waste. Co-ops are able to interact with the community and build strong relationships with the member-owners and customers that frequent the store.

The Rainbow Food Co-op, located in small-town Blue Earth, Minn., is an example of this type of business. In a city with only 3,211 people, it is crucial that their locals are supporting the store in order for it to be kept afloat. “Our customer base is extremely loyal,” stated Connie Johannsen, assistant manager and board secretary. “Many customers have been shopping here for years and now the next generation of the family is carrying out the tradition.”

by Kelli Boylen

Country View Dairy is not only consistently gaining new customers, they are also now helping to feed the hungry in Northeast Iowa.

County View provides yogurt to the Northeast Iowa Food Bank in Waterloo that is sent out weekly to the 16 counties they serve in Northeast Iowa. Their partnership with the Food Bank ensures a fresh, continuous supply of yogurt to many people who may not otherwise have a source of this nutrient-filled food. Country View provides the yogurt to the food bank at the lowest price possible, just slightly above cost.

They also donate additional yogurt to food pantries if it is getting too close to the expiration date to send out for retail sale.

“Country View products are now available in more than 120 stores in seven states, 20 public schools, 11 colleges, several health care institutions and restaurants,” says Bob Howard, director of marketing and sales. “And it’s available to Google Headquarters and the O’Hare Airport.”

He added, “We are also expanding markets into Wisconsin, concentrating on Madison and Milwaukee. That is new for us in the last year. Another small yogurt producer went out of business there and we have been able to step in and fill that niche of artisan small batch farmstead yogurt for many of their former customers.”

In Rochester, Country View yogurt can be found for purchase at People's Food Co-op, and as an ingredient at both Nupa locations and Tonic Local Kitchen & Juice Bar.

by Kelli Boylen

University of Iowa athletes are now powering up with O’Brien’s Own Granola!

O’Brien’s Own Granola received a vendor contract from the University of Iowa Athletic Department to provide new, single serving 2-ounce bags of granola. In addition, their energy bars are now offered at the fueling stations across campus.

“What a treat that our granola is helping fuel our student athletes at the University of Iowa. We feel privileged that we are a part of their training routines!” said Rick O’Brien.

In 2010, Rick and Belinda O’Brien started making granola with an original recipe in their own kitchen for themselves. They were soon making it for family, friends and co-workers.

In early 2011, they decided to go retail but needed a commercial manufacturing kitchen so Rick converted their basement into what they needed. After only a year they outgrew that space and in October of 2012 moved production into a commercial facility.

“It’s amazing how far we have come by keeping things simple. We use only the finest ingredients with no preservatives and trade shows like Feast! and local farmer’s markets have been a huge blessing and a catalyst for our growth,” shared Rick and Belinda. All their oats and honey are locally sourced from Iowa.

by Kelli Wickard

Pete Gengler — "out standing" in his field.

Who doesn’t like to treat themselves to some fries every once in a while? Sno Pac’s crinkle cut fries offer a healthier option that can be purchased in the freezer section of your local grocery store and made at home in minutes.

Sno Pac Foods was established in 1943 by J.P. Gengler, and for the past 70 years, they have been a family owned and operated business. Now on the fourth generation of Genglers, Pete Gengler has stuck with the family tradition and has continued to keep the farm completely organic. Throughout the decades they have strived to be the best in frozen fruits and vegetables that are organically grown and processed. The quality of their products is what has kept their customers coming back for so long.

by Kelli Boylen

Five years ago when Eric and Sarah Underberg started making fermented foods most people had never heard of the idea.

Sarah was interviewed on WHBF-TV on September 20, 2017 and snapped this selfie.

Nowadays, most people have heard of kombucha and sauerkraut, but there are many other products including fermented hummus, kimchi, pickles, salsas, and traditional sourdough bread.

Eric started exploring fermented foods to improve his own health. “My husband started making fermented foods to heal his body after years of abuse from college football and working as a master carpenter,” shared his wife Sarah. “He began making milk kefir and sauerkraut and eating it every day. I was not interested in the beginning, however his passion for spreading the truth about food was so profound that I jumped on board. After about six months of Eric consuming these foods and the almost immediate bounce back, he talked to me at length about how we needed to share this information and food with others. That is when we decided to put everything we had into this business,” says Sarah.

They founded Agri-Cultured in 2012 in Dallas Center, Iowa with a small, licensed kitchen. They started making five-gallon batches of sauerkraut and kimchi.

“It was so important to us that we make the transition to whole food eating so easy, that people didn’t even realize they were eating ‘healthy.’ That’s why we offer the flavors that we do,” she said, adding, “Our company is the “gateway” drug to fermented foods...ie...easy on taste, pairs well with so many other foods and it gives us the opportunity to plant the seed of cultured food.”

by Kelli Boylen

Julie Parisi, founder and owner of Zaza’s Pasta, is not only making local food, she is using local sources for the raw ingredients whenever possible as well!

“We're using only Minnesota and Iowa grown wheat in all of our products. Throughout the whole process we're supporting local farmers along the way,” she shared.  All of their garlic, herbs and vegetables come from Frontier Natural Cooperative out of Norway, IA, whose mission it is to support and strengthen rural communities around the globe.

Zaza's Pastas started in 2010 in a small, one-bedroom apartment in Iowa City, selling at local farmers markets. Zaza’s Pastas has been working out of a commercial kitchen since 2012. In 2015 they started working with some local food wholesale distributors. This has allowed their product to reach farther than she could have ever anticipated.

“We pour our heart and soul into each batch of pasta,” expressed Julie. “We love the ingredients, we love the process and we want you to love what you eat!” Her pasta includes only local, organic and non-GMO flour.

by Marlene Petersen

Scouting Local Food Talent at Feast! Local Foods Marketplace

When it comes to buying local, Nicci Sylvester, owner of Tonic Kitchen and Juice Bar, puts her money where her mouth is. Literally. Okay…not literally. But pretty darn close. A fervid advocate for delicious, regional fare, Nicci refuses to compromise on quality and spends her time, talents and resources scouting out the best.

Committed to Local

“I have a passion for fresh, local food,” Nicci says. She started Tonic in November 2013 to fulfill her dream of owning a restaurant committed to sourcing locally. “I buy local because it’s about living life as a whole package. It’s better for the environment, doesn’t poison my staff with chemicals, supports area farmers and tastes better.”

With local food comprising 75 percent of Tonic’s summertime menu—and 35 percent of its winter one—procuring ingredients is a daily, if not hourly, venture.

“I’m constantly buying something,” says Nicci. “Today it’s honey from Bee Shed [Oronoco, Minn.]. Tomorrow will be chicken and turkeys from Larry Schultz [Owatonna, Minn.]. Right now, I’m going to the farmer’s market and asking around to find a grower who does carrots and beets.”

Creating menus for Tonic involves more than just purchasing inventory from a foodservice distributor like other restaurants do. It’s a commitment to eating in season and constantly examining fresh lists—an inventory of products farmers have to sell now, what’s coming up, and what’s over for the season—to see what’s even available. If Tonic runs out of carrots in the middle of lunch rush, Nicci doesn’t place an urgent order with Sysco or head to Cub Foods. She calls her farmers and hopes they have more. And if they don’t?

“When I’m out, I’m out.” She shrugs.