Milling & Baking News - February 12, 2019 - 12

Business

Siemer gift to university aims to
boost grain quality and yields
Siemer Milling is a 136-year-old
family- and employee-owned company operating wheat flour mills in Teutopolis, Ill.; West Harrison, Ind.; and
Hopkinsville, Ky. The milling operations purchase 25 million bus of wheat
and produce 750,000 tons of processed
wheat products annually, including
flour, wheat bran and wheat germ.
University of Kentucky College of
Agriculture, Food and Environment

MATT BARTON, UK AGRICULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS

LEXINGTON, KY. - Siemer Milling
Co. is donating $1 million to the University of Kentucky Grain and Forage
Center of Excellence to support initiatives to improve grain quality and
agronomic productivity of wheat in
Kentucky and the region, the university announced on Jan. 25.
The Siemer Milling Company
Wheat Production Program Fund will
be used for programming, equipment,
outreach, and faculty and student
support. The university is building a
Grain and Forage Center, and the facility's conference center will be named
in honor of Siemer Milling.
Siemer Milling opened a flour mill
in western Kentucky 23 years ago to
be closer to its largest customer and
discovered that wheat growers in the
region were among the most sophisticated in the business, said Richard C.
Siemer, president.
"Because of the knowledge base, geography and weather patterns in Kentucky, growers can get three good crops
in two years," he said. "These growers are interested in growing quality
wheat, and essential to that is optimizing production techniques. Innovative
agricultural leaders in the area brought
in best practices developed in the United Kingdom to improve growing skills
in Kentucky, and the university utilized
and expanded on those skills.
"When university officials showed
me their plans and vision for the Grain
and Forage Center and I shared it with
our board of directors, they said it
sounded like a great idea. We are excited about deepening our relationship and support of wheat cultivation
and growing techniques in Kentucky."

On hand for the donation ceremony were, from front left: Warren Beeler, Governor's
Office of Agricultural Policy; Robert Houtz, University of Kentucky; David Van Sanford,
University of Kentucky; Richard Siemer, Henry Siemer and Carl Schwinke, all from Siemer
Milling. Back: Lloyd Murdock and Chad Lee, both from the University of Kentucky.

Dean Nancy Cox said partnerships
with industry are crucial to the success
of a facility like the Grain and Forage
Center of Excellence.
"The agriculture industry in Kentucky has been supportive of our college's research and outreach efforts for
many years," she said. "This wonderful gift from Siemer Milling continues
this legacy. We are very fortunate to
have a company in our state that provides a market for our farmers and
understands the value of ongoing research and educational efforts."

Hudson River Foods acquires
Dancing Deer Baking
AVON, CONN. - Hudson River Foods
has acquired Dancing Deer Baking Co.
from Ironwood Capital. Financial terms
of the transaction were not disclosed.
Based in Boston, Dancing Deer
makes cookies and cakes. The company's products are sold through grocery, direct-to-consumer, reseller and
corporate channels.
Since it was incorporated in 1994, Dancing Deer has grown from a small commercial bakery to a larger manufacturer
of specialty cakes and cookies, as well as
12 / February 12, 2019

Milling & Baking News

The Grain and Forage Center will
be part of the university's Research
and Education Center in Princeton,
Ky. Among the improvements are updated meeting facilities, laboratories
and offices, and a boost to the center's
high-speed internet capabilities to allow graduate students stationed at the
center to remotely participate in classes in Lexington.
Chad Lee, grain crops specialist and
center director, said grain and forage industries play key roles in Kentucky's economy and the investments
made in the Grain and Forage Center

provider of online gourmet gift packages.
"Dancing Deer can claim an amazing
list of industry awards over the past two
decades," said Alex Levental, managing director at Ironwood Capital. "Not
only do they create delicious products,
but they are known for their innovative business practices and community
involvement as well. The company is a
great fit with Hudson River Foods."
Hudson River Foods' roots date back
to 2005, when Dan and Donna Ratner
created a green beverage packed with

of Excellence will move those sectors
forward in the state.
"We appreciate the partnership that
the Siemer Milling family has developed with growers, crop consultants,
farm supply providers and the University of Kentucky," Mr. Lee said. "Their
commitment to sustainably grown
wheat and strengthening the local
communities where wheat is grown
is an idea appreciated by all involved.
We are humbled by their investment
and look forward to our partnership
for generations to come." MBN
nutrients, which led to the formation of Cell-Nique Corp. In 2008, Mr.
Ratner began to acquire small health
brands that were struggling during
the recession. The brands were pooled
together to become Healthy Brands
Collective, which ultimately became
Hudson River Foods.
Today, Hudson River Foods is a
family of brands that focus on healthier lifestyles, including organic, nonG.M.O., kosher, vegan and allergenfree. Brands in the portfolio include
Cherrybrook Kitchen, Tempt Hemp,
European Gourmet Bakery, The Epic
Seed, High Country Kombucha and
Healthy To Go! MBN
bakingbusiness.com / world-grain.com

http://www.bakingbusiness.com http://www.world-grain.com

Milling & Baking News - February 12, 2019

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