The need for the plant was first seen by Greg Langmo, a Litchfield turkey farmer who was searching for a way to address concerns over poultry litter stockpiling and litter management. Langmo heard of the Fibrowatt plants in England and contacted a representative of that company to assess the need for a similar plant in Minnesota. The need was seen, and plans were begun to locate an appropriate site and to complete the necessary steps to begin construction.

Though several other sites in addition to Benson were considered, Langmo feels that FibroMinn’s selection of Benson was correct: “It ended up Benson was the best place. These guys own the land. It just made sense.” He goes on to cite Benson’s great leadership as well after working closely with city planners, council members, and town mayor Paul Kittelson, “Put these guys in any other city and that city would have gotten it.” For a variety of factors, including more practical ones such as access to gas and power lines, good roads, and water, Benson will be the home of this innovative new plant.

Bringing FibroMinn to Benson is not a step that city leaders have taken lightly. Much research and planning has gone into the Project including a trip to England to visit the Fibrowatt plants. This was undertaken in June of 1999 by a group of policy makers from Benson, including Paul Kittelson and Chuck Koenigs, then a member of the Benson Utilities Commission and currently a director of the Swift County Human services. The delegation spent a week in England touring the poultry litter facilities and speaking to local townspeople about their
impressions of the plants. “We had done our background checks,” Kittelson admits, noting that the main fear of Benson residents was the potential smell of such a plant. Members of the group spoke to many of the English, including the town mayor, council members, and even people on the street. Koenigs, who confides “Mainly, my nose was sent over to England to perform a sniff test,” found no noticeable smell. In his report to the Benson city council made a week after the group’s return from England, Koenigs testifies that most people in the English city of Eye didn’t even know the plant existed, and that outside of the plant, there was no noticeable poultry litter stench. He goes on to
add, “I anticipate FibroMinn to be an excellent neighbor. Everything I saw in England and have observed over the past five years associated with their representatives has been top drawer - professional, community sensitive, patient, persistent - all positive attributes.”

There have been delays in building FibroMinn for several reasons, most importantly from the permitting process. Langmo notes, “It’s very difficult to get through Minnesota permitting.” Four to six months were spent on making sure dust from the plant would not become an environmental hazard. Benson and Minnesota officials were intent on making sure that FibroMinn would not adversely affect the environment, and the plant has passed simulations with flying colors. September 11th and the war in Iraq have also slowed down the progression of the plant, but Langmo remains undaunted. attributes that to the hard work of FibroMinn’s proponents: “We’re all a big team, have been a team for many years.” “The real story is that the plant is still happening, even after all the hurdles that have come at it,” he says. Kittelson agrees, and Together, many people have worked very hard to bring FibroMinn and its benefits to Benson.

Benson will benefit greatly indeed from FibroMinn. As Koenigs explains, “The economic impact on the community, depending upon the economic modeling one uses, could ripple to tsunami proportions. Effects on housing demands, school foundation aid, downtown businesses and the like will be present in varying degrees.” Langmo agrees on the positive benefits, and adds, “FibroMinn should pay off long term for the city of Benson.” Some estimates project that up to $10 million a year could be pumped into the local economy because of the plant’s operations. If everything goes as planned from now on, the plant should be up and running and contributing to Benson’s livelihood by December of 2006. Langmo hopes it doesn’t stop there. “There’s a tremendous need for this project all over the country,” he declares. Hopefully, other states will take notice and build their own plants. For now, however, Benson will stand as a model to others.

Lenz and Future Products are at the forefront of the latest advance in corn, polylactic acid (PLA). PLA is a corn-based product that is renewable and biodegradable, making it much more friendly to the environment than many synthetic products available today. PLA can be produced in a plastic or textile format and is used to make bedding, film wrap for tapes and CD’s, foam packaging, cord and rope, mattresses, cups, and serving utensils. In textile form, PLA can be spun into fibers for a natural fabric, such as cotton, silk, or wool, or it can be blended with other fabrics. Also, unlike synthetic fabrics such as polyester, nylon, or rayon, PLA derived products will breakdown into fertilizer someday instead of adding to already full landfills. The possibilities are endless, and all of them make the future look just a little bit brighter!

Future Products, in Benson, is in the garment manufacturing business. Don Lenz, the company CEO, first became interested in PLA about a year ago. “We wanted to break into the ag business,” he explains. Benson businessman Duaine Flanders has been following PLA for a bit longer. “I first became aware of this technology in the 1980s while working for the Agriculture Utilization Research Institute,” he adds. Flanders has since become a tireless advocate for PLA products and the production of them in Benson. Both men see PLA for its potential to benefit Benson, but there are some boundaries in the way of that.

Currently, Lenz has to go through a 12 week cycle to manufacture PLA garments. From the time he places the order, the corn is collected in Nebraska and processed into PLA there. Then it is shipped to the Carolinas where it is spun into yarn. In Connecticut the yarn is knitted into PLA fabric, and the fabric is then finally shipped to Lenz in Benson where it is cut and sewn into clothing. Feasibility studies have shown the benefits of combining all four steps in one manufacturing facility, but there are difficulties in getting such a plant built. If it were built, however, the profits for Benson could be quite high. It would provide another market for area corn-growers, guaranteeing them good prices and more security. It would consume electricity, providing business for local power plants. Additionally, such a plant would provide jobs for area workers. “We really have to stand on our own two feet,” Flanders remarks. “These corn shirts are another part of that vision to keep money in Benson.” Local materials would be used to make local products that everyone could be proud of.

Right now, Future Products is in what Lenz calls the “education phase.” He admits, “There is difficulty in getting the word out about the product.” Because it’s such a new technology, there haven’t been television clips or magazine ads about it. Many people simply do not know that such a product is available. Lenz is working to change that, however. He is currently talking to John Deere, Pioneer, and the Minnesota Corn Growers Association about the availability of his product, and the University of Minnesota at Morris recently commissioned some shirts from him for their Wind Turbine dedication ceremony. While PLA shirts are more expensive than regular cotton blends, neither Lenz nor Flanders are concerned about that. Flanders speaks for both of them, “Price is not an issue. It’s the quality of the product that counts.” PLA fabric performs at a higher level than cotton in terms of shrinkage, moisture-wicking, and softness. When all is said and done, however, these “corn shirts” are just another way for Minnesotans to take pride in the agricultural and environmentally-conscious nature of their state. Wear one today and show your pride!

By Kathryn Albright

Driving into Benson from Morris, along Highway 9, the first thing one notices is the Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company. Operating 24 hours a day, 355 days a year, it sends plumes of water vapor into the air without stop. On the outside, it looks much like any other industrial facility: large, nondescript buildings; trucks rumbling in and out at all hours and tanks dotted around. On the inside of the Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company, however, is the future. CVEC, as the company is commonly called, is one of Minnesota’s leading producers of the renewable fuel ethanol.

Minnesota is at the forefront of the country’s clean air fuel program initiative. In fact, CVEC’s own general manager, Bill Lee, is currently the chairman of the Renewable Fuels Association. According to Mitch Miller, CVEC’s operations manager, this organization is “a leading voice for the ethanol industry in Washington D.C., and is mainly focused on public policy for expanding the use of ethanol.” Minnesota has already started to make strides in the movement towards a cleaner future. At this time, State law now requires that gasoline sold in Minnesota contain a component called an oxygenate, which is better for the environment. The oxygenate used in Minnesota is exclusively ethanol. Usually, gasoline is mixed with just under 10% ethanol. However, there is a growing movement towards an 85% mixture, called E85, which is many times better for the environment and considerably cheaper per gallon than regular leaded/unleaded gasoline. At the moment, only flexible fuel vehicles (FFV) can use E85. A list of these can be found online at www.e85fuel.com. Vehicles using E85 get about 15-20% less mileage than regular leaded/unleaded, but E85 costs on average 20 cents less per gallon than the 10-15% ethanol mixture. “Ethanol is the cleanest burning fuel on the planet,” Bill Lee adds, “and E85 is the highest available ethanol blend on the market.”

Ethanol is created from corn, and this is where CVEC comes in. The company was dreamed up between John Carruth, a local farmer, and Ray Millett, the manager of the local electric coop. Construction began in June of 1995, and on April 26, 1996, CVEC ground its first bushel of corn. Within 30 days, it was running at full capacity. In June of 2003, CVEC brought online a major expansion, bringing it to its present volume of production. CVEC’s mission, as their website puts it, is to: enhance market opportunities and utilization of area corn production, consistently return to shareholders dividends greater than industry averages, continually seek innovative sources for material input, and aggressively develop new product markets. 90% of the company’s 960 shareholders are farmers, and contribute corn to the company. CVEC grinds on average 47,000 bushels of corn a day, or 16.6 million bushels a year. The end result of this is 45 million gallons a year of ethanol. In fact, CVEC produces enough ethanol that it ships 90% of its product to other states.

CVEC is a very environmentally conscious company, not only because of what it produces, but also because of the general philosophy of the company. It runs on steam generated by natural gas combustion, and although it has a propane backup, that accounts for less than 1% of the company’s power. CVEC is also researching innovative ways to reduce and possibly eliminate the need for natural gas at all in the running of their facilities. In the future, they would like to diversify their product range, reduce their energy input, and even expand up to 49.5 million gallons per year of ethanol. Bill Lee adds some more expectations for the future, “We have had some success in creating new products like Shakers Vodka. I look for CVEC to continue to develop new products, develop ways to improve efficiencies, and ways to use new raw materials like biomass to create value for our shareholders.” CVEC is constantly on the lookout, as Mitch Miller puts it, for “environmentally friendly ways to process feedstock more efficiently.” Additionally, CVEC seeks to educate the public about the need for renewable energy. The company serves the community by giving tours to hundreds of people per year, including students, interest groups, and the general public. As Miller explains, “We also speak to local students about opportunities in the renewable energy industry, and support many local activities and community events.” CVEC even donates scholarships to local high school graduates interested in education in the renewable energy industry.

The growing renewable fuel movement in the United States and abroad offers an alternative to dependence on foreign oil sources. This could have a significant impact on the U.S. in many ways. At this time, America imports approximately 56% of its petroleum needs from abroad, to the tune of $100 billion a year. An extra $50 billion is spent protecting these oil supplies, two-thirds of which are in the Middle East. By the year 2025, America is expected to import up to 77% of its petroleum needs.

Domestically created sources of renewable fuel, such as ethanol, can help to lessen the U.S. trade deficit by billions, create hundreds of thousands of new American jobs, increase demand for crops and stimulate the flagging farm industry, and reduce crude oil imports significantly. Renewable resources are by their very nature environmentally friendly. They will not run out, as other energy sources such as petroleum and coal will. Ethanol is the best known source of renewable energy, but other valid options include solar power, wind power, biomass, biodiesel, geothermal energy, hydrogen, and fuel cells. Hydroelectric power is another choice, but less used. All of these choices aim towards creating a better, cleaner world for the people who will inhabit it long after current generations are gone.

This is at the heart of what the Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company does. To them, community and family is everything. As Mitch Miller puts it, “There is more than a relationship between CVEC and Benson, it’s a partnership between community and business all working towards the same goal of preserving and strengthening our community by adding value to our local economy!” CVEC derives their product from Minnesota corn grown by Minnesota farmers, all of whom are local to the Benson area. They give jobs to locals and pour money into the local economy. The company is also active in a number of organizations besides the Renewable Fuel Association. These include the American Coalition for Ethanol, the Minnesota Coalition for Ethanol, the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, the National Corn Growers Association, and the Governor’s Ethanol Coalition. Most importantly, though, CVEC cares about the future. Miller wants people to know that CVEC’s employees are working hard every day to produce a clean, environmentally friendly renewable product that supports the local economy and reduces the need for foreign imports. “We’re trying to create a better environment for future generations,” he says. “We go to work with that on our minds every day.”

By Kathryn Albright

Vodka. The word brings to mind icy Russian steppes or Polish plains, not a tiny Minnesota farming town named Benson. Yet that is precisely what Benson is rapidly growing famous for, Shakers Vodka—the first American-made ultra-premium vodka on the market. It seems like an anomaly. How does a world class vodka come to be produced in a town with a population of less than five thousand people, in a primarily rural part of the state? The answer lies within the Chippewa Valley Agrafuels Cooperative, which owns and runs both the Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company, and the Glacial Grain Spirits company. Glacial Grain Spirits, in conjunction with San Francisco based Infinite Spirits, has spent the last few years developing and producing what many are calling one of the best vodkas in the world.

Why vodka, many ask? And why Benson, Minnesota? As it turns out, luxury vodka is a rapidly expanding segment of the alcohol market, and Pat Couteaux, the master distiller for Shakers Vodka and a cofounder of Infinite Spirits, recognized this. However, the lack of a competitive American vodka at the ultra-premium level challenged him. He decided to try to fill that niche, and saw in Glacial Grain Spirits a first-class facility with the capability of producing his product. An agreement was reached, and in March of 2003, Shakers Wheat, Rye, and Rose flavored vodkas were released to critical acclaim. Shakers is a vodka that reflects the land it comes from. It is made from Minnesota wheat and rye, grown by Minnesota farmers, in the heartland of America. “It’s about authenticity,” Bill Lee, the general manager of CVEC, says. “There’s no need for flashy advertising. Shakers speaks for itself.” Mitch Miller, CVEC’s operations manager, agrees. “There’s a lot of local pride that Shakers is holding its own at a high level, not just among people in Benson, but in the ethanol industry as well.”

Shakers certainly is holding its own. At the 2004 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Shakers rose won a double gold medal and the “best flavored vodka” award. Shakers Rye won a double gold medal as well, and Shakers Original (wheat) won a silver medal for the second year in a row. At the same awards, Shakers won eight double gold medals for packaging for its whimsical martini-shaker design. The June 2003 issue of Spirit Journal lists Shakers vodka as one of the top fifty spirits in the world, and the fourth highest rated vodka in the world. The July 2003 issue of Nightclub & Bar Magazine rates Shakers very highly indeed: “The silky smooth vodka is medium weight and flawless….Shakers should have a long and healthy run." Those in Benson knew that already.

The impact of Shakers upon Benson has been tremendous. Pat McGeary, manager of the Benson Liquor Store, says “The immediate impact of Shakers into our community was overwhelming! In my 26 years in the liquor industry, I have never dealt with anything of this magnitude! You just don’t see anything like this happen in our part of the country!” Local and state news crews flooded the small town and KSTP Channel 5 News out of the Twin Cities even sent Jason Davis and his “5 on the Road” crew to do a segment on the Minnesota born-and bred vodka. The spirit has brought jobs, revenues, and home town pride to Benson in a way that few small towns can boast. Shakers looks to enjoy a long and fruitful relationship with Benson. Currently, it is available in 17 states, but there are plans to release it nationwide within the next year or so.

A seasonal vodka, Shakers Winter, was released to widespread praise this past winter and nearly sold out its limited-release run. There are no current plans to re-release the berry and honey flavored vodka, but never fear, Glacial Grain Spirits and Infinite Spirits have several new products in the research and development stage. As Bill Lee says with a smile, “Infinite Spirits prides itself on operating under the name Infinite Spirits. With a company name like Infinite Spirits, you can only imagine what the future holds!” Whatever it may hold, those in Benson are ready, willing, and able for the challenge. Until then, they’ll enjoy (responsibly) the fruits of their labor.

By Kathryn Albright

Right in the heart of Benson, Minnesota lies Stony Ridge Foods, a small but important business run by Dan and Jeena Hughes. Stony Ridge Foods is a family run farm company that focuses on non genetically modified organisms, or, non-GMOs, as well as identity preservation of crops. In the food industry, non-GMO companies are the underdogs, and the Hughes family understands that quite well. There is a growing importance, however, in what they do. Non -GMOs and companies concerned with identity preservation have an insight into the future of farm economics, and are preparing for what will come.

Stony Ridge Foods started out as a family dry bean farm, the Hughes Trading Company. They worked as originators with ag giants Klein International starting in 1989, but when Klein Int. was purchased by Con-Agra in 1997, the Hughes decided to terminate their relationship with the company. They saw the need for an identity preserved dry bean business, and the change from Klein Int.’s family-owned atmosphere to the big-industry Con-Agra did not fit their goals. For several years the Hughes family focused just on growing their dry bean crops and expanding their contacts in the industry. Then, in September of 2000, they purchased Nelson Seed Company in Benson and spent the next two years cleaning up and restructuring the company to launch their own business. In the spring of 2002, they exported their first shipment - soybeans - to Japan. Stony Ridge Foods was born.

People unfamiliar with non-GMOs and identity preservation might wonder why they are so important. The answer ties into the flagging state of the farm industry and the dwindling numbers of family run farms. As more and more small farms are swallowed up by large corporations, the amount of specialized, individual care given to crops is reduced. Also reduced is the amount of information available about where food comes from, which is why identity preservation is so important. Farmers who practice this label their shipments with information on what the product is, who grew it, and when and where it was grown. That information is available at any time, and makes it easier to understand how the crop has been cultivated. As Dan Hughes explains, “People really don’t know where their food comes from. Not everybody operates under the same standards.” Certain pesticides that are no longer used in America may still be used in other countries, and food shipped in from these countries may be tainted with it. Identity preservation helps people concerned about this to make sure they are eating food that meets the highest standards.

There are other reasons why identity preservation is so important. Hughes explains, “Given the impact of 9-11, the food industry now is rapidly, albeit quietly, aligning itself to address food security issues. Information and supply chain systems will be as important as the actual food ingredient itself.” Knowing when, where, and by whom food is grown helps to ensure the safety of those who consume that food. Many companies besides the Hughes’ recognize this growing concern among their customers and seek to address these issues. One other such business is the Organic Valley dairy company. They include tracking numbers on their cartons of milk so customers can check online to learn where their milk comes from.

So what does the future look like for businesses like Stony Ridge Foods? Dan Hughes admits that it looks tough at times, despite growing customer concerns over the quality of crops. The small farms and businesses suffer the most, he explains, adding “We cannot compete against a Brazilian farm in terms of labor, wages, and that sort of thing.” Brazil is one of America’s biggest competitors in food import/export, but Americans have no control over how the crops there are grown and tended to, as well as which pesticides are used on them. China is another threat as Dan Hughes tells it. “China is real. It’s not a dream. And China means business.” Much of the food in American supermarkets these days comes from China, and like Brazil, American customers have no control over Chinese crops.

Regardless of foreign competition and the decline of small family farms, Dan and Jeena Hughes, and their family, are determined to forge ahead with Stony Ridge Foods. They know, as many Americans are starting to realize, that the personal attention and loving care small farmers give to their crops cannot be beaten by large corporations. Non-genetically modified crops that have been tracked from planting to harvesting to shipping are the best way to guarantee that the healthiest food possible is placed on the table of each American family.