Going organic:Dakota co-op to produce pasta

FARGO, North Dakota (AP) -- North Dakota's largest pasta cooperative, taking note of consumer demand, is planning a line of pasta made from organically grown durum.

The Dakota Growers Pasta Co. is trying to find enough farmers to grow the wheat variety to meet organic standards.

"Organic pasta hasn't been something with any popularity up until now, so there just haven't been a lot of people growing durum organically," said Tim Dodd, president and general manager of the Carrington-based co-op. "But consumers are demanding it now, and some of our customers want us to produce it."

The member-owned Dakota Growers makes and sells pasta products under its own label, and also makes pasta for other companies to sell under their brand names.

Dodd said those companies, apparently because of pressure from consumers, have approached the cooperative about an organic variety of pasta.

Finding farmers
Cooperative officials have been talking to both members and nonmembers, trying to find a pool of farmers willing to grow limited supplies of durum organically, without the use of chemicals or genetic changes.

Fred Kirschenmann, a Medina organic farmer and co-founder of Farm Verified Organic, a business that certifies organic farming practices, has been working closely with Dakota Growers.

He said organic farmers are very interested in growing durum for the co-op, and he predicted a bumper crop of organic durum in 2000.

"We're excited that Dakota Growers is showing interest in organic pasta," Kirschenmann said. "The interest among farmers is already there. All Dakota Growers needs to do is tell us how much they want us to grow."

Second try for organic goods
Consumers have been gobbling up organic products at an unprecedented rate, apparently worried about farm chemicals and genetically altered crops. While the federal Agriculture Department continues to grapple with how to legally define "organic," the industry has boomed, with sales of $6 billion last year, according to the Organic Trade Association.

Dodd said Dakota Growers briefly produced a line of organic semolina, the durum flour used to make pasta, in the early 1990s for sale to other pasta makers. The product was abandoned because of poor sales.

Dodd said the cooperative is willing to try organic products again because "we recognize consumer demand has changed."

"In the past, I've never been that excited about organic crops because the (sales) volume has been so low," he added. "But that trend is changing. People are concerned about food safety, and some believe organic is the way to go."

'An exciting prospect'
Dodd said the pasta plant already is set up so it could handle production of a separate, limited line of organic pasta.

He declined to name the customers who have approached Dakota Growers about organic pasta or say how much of the organic wheat the co-op hopes to grow.

Kirschenmann already grows a limited amount of organic durum for a Michigan food company, and said he would be more than willing to expand his crop.

James Ryan of Balfour, a longtime organic farmer and member of Dakota Growers, said he has already committed to growing a durum crop organically for the co-op.

"I think this is a great move for organic farmers and for Dakota Growers," he said. "It's an exciting prospect."

For more information about growing certified organic wheat for Dakota Growers Pasta Company, contact Brad Miller at 701-652-4852, bmiller@dakotagrowers.com.