Growing Grain Innovation, Ardent Mills 2017 - 4

Organic Initiative 2019
Continues to Grow

ince being the first in the industry to announce efforts to help
U.S. wheat growers double organic wheat acres by 2019, Ardent
Mills has expanded its producer program to a total of seven U.S.
states and a Canadian province while adding more organic-certified
milling, packaging and storage locations.
Ardent Mills is the premier North American flour-milling and
ingredient company in the U.S., providing organic flour since 1996.
The company saw that only a mere 0.63% of U.S. cropland was
devoted to organic wheat in 2011, so the company developed a
plan-Organic Initiative 2019-with the goal of doubling the farm
land devoted to organic wheat by 2019.
This plan includes supporting family farms while they transition from
conventional to organic production, which is a three-year commitment
period when growers typically experience reduced yields because of
the changes in farming tactics. As farmers join Ardent Mills' organic
initiative, they will have access to direct support
services, workshops and long-term contracts for
transitional and organic wheat bushels. Such
an initiative is unprecedented in agri-business,
and is a real game changer for farmers.
"By planning and launching regional and
national products, we can deliver supply
assurance and scalability," said Shrene White,
General Manager of Specialty. "Since 2015,

we've added organic durum, organic cracked wheat, organic triticale
and organic spelt to our product mix, which also includes organic
whole wheat flour, organic bread flour, organic all-purpose flour and
organic pastry flour, various ancient grains and breads made at our
Innovative Bakery Resources facility."
"This initiative started by listening to our customers," said
Don Pearson, vice president-sales. "With the growing demand
from consumers for organic flour products, it became clear that
organic wheat acres in North America were not going to keep up.
As a company dedicated to Nourishing what's next, we discussed
options and decided we would be more proactive in creating a
program to help farmers transition to organic wheat. "

Ancient and Heirloom Grains
Ancient grains, also known as heirloom grains, add culinary
adventure and great-tasting whole grain nutrition to all types of
foods, with each grain delivering unique flavors and textures. They
also provide a back-to-basics approach to food preparation, a
wholesomeness embraced by today's consumers.
All grains are pretty ancient. "The term is all about eating the
oldest varieties, that haven't been bred and changed by humans
over the thousands of years that we have been growing them,"
said Minneapolis-based Robin Asbell, chef and author of The
Whole Grain Promise.

Suzy Badaracco, president, Culinary Tides Inc., San Francisco, said,
"The term ancient grains is grounding, it lends an element of trust."
Ardent Mills is growing its range of ancient and heirloom
grains, from amaranth, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, sorghum and
teff, to now include spelt, triticale and more. Many ancient grains
are gluten free, making them possible substitutes for wheat
flours. Ancient and heirloom grains are an easy way to add value
and premiumize foods. Applications extend beyond baked goods,
and include batters and breadings, breakfast cereal, pasta and
side dishes.

About Ardent Mills
Ardent Mills is the premier flour-milling and ingredient company whose vision is to be the
trusted partner in nurturing its customers, consumers and communities through innovative
and nutritious grain-based solutions. Ardent Mills' operations and services are supported
by more than 40 flour mills and bakery-mix facilities, along with a specialty bakery and
Mobile Innovation Center, all located in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Deeply rooted in
communities throughout North America, Ardent Mills is headquartered in Denver, and employs
more than 100 certified millers, supporting thousands of local jobs and contributing billions of
dollars to local economies. To learn more about Ardent Mills, visit ardentmills.com.

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Growing Grain Innovation, Ardent Mills 2017

Growing Grain Innovation, Ardent Mills 2017 - 1
Growing Grain Innovation, Ardent Mills 2017 - 2
Growing Grain Innovation, Ardent Mills 2017 - 3
Growing Grain Innovation, Ardent Mills 2017 - 4
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/ArdentMills/plant-forward-ardent-mills
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/ArdentMills/special-category-report-the-rise-of-organic-grains-and-flours
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/ArdentMills/2017_03_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/ArdentMills/2016_03_01
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com