4/20/2005 – News
Volume 122, Number 11
Sheyenne Valley Gourmet Beef hopes to make its mark
BY RICHARD PETERSON
Have you heard about Sheyenne Valley gourmet beef? Well, if you haven’t, Jessica Budeau is going to see to it that you become aware of this product which is produced in the heart of North Dakota. She’s the sales and marketing director of Sheyenne Valley Marketing, which is an outgrowth of Central Dakota Beef, which is in turn an outgrowth of the Central Dakota Cattle Assn.
All these business organizations can cause confusion, but there’s no doubt about the bottom line: Sheyenne Valley beef products are the best in the world.
The cattle which provide the meat are bred and raised naturally. You might find the meat from such animals in supermarkets, but you’ll never know for sure. More likely, the meat you find in the supermarket comes from cattle which have been given antibiotics and additional hormones. They may even have been fed animal by-products, which are said to be responsible for mad cow disease.
But Sheyenne Valley cattle are raised with no antibiotics, no added hormones and they are never fed animal by-products. Sheyenne Valley beef is certified as such and it’s a Pride of Dakota product endorsed by the state of North Dakota.
"Our cattle producers provide quality care to create a healthy environment for healthy beef," says Jessica. The animals are also treated humanely.
The cattle make their last trip to the slaughtering plant in Harvey and are processed into steaks, roasts, ground beef and pre-seasoned and pre-cooked products, such as prime rib. Beef sticks, both regular and spicy, are in big demand. "The Farmers Union (in Maddock) and the Little Mart in Harvey sell lots of beef sticks," says Jessica.
The present emphasis is on getting Sheyenne Valley beef into grocery stores and restaurants. Organizations are beginning to utilize Sheyenne Valley beef for steak fries. Jessica is proud that one of the premier restaurants in North Dakota, the HoDo in the recently refurbished Hotel Donaldson in Fargo, features Sheyenne Valley beef on its menu. So do Felix’s in Devils Lake, The Cabaret in Fessenden, Commodore Whipple’s and JW’s Pizzaria and Restaurant in Harvey, The Chieftain in Carrington and of course Maddock Cafe & Lanes.
Wally’s in Devils Lake, Ralph’s Super Valu in Harvey and Hometown Grocery in Maddock have been carrying some Sheyenne Valley products and Jessica is working on a number of clients she hopes will carry the brand in the future. She’s been talking to Leevers and Schwan Wholesale in Devils Lake, for instance.
Individuals can also purchase the beef products. Steaks and roasts can be ordered any size, but orders are by the case. Products can come fresh or frozen. Orders telephoned to 701-438-2600 by Thursdays will be delivered the following week. The meat can be picked up at the Maddock Business & Technology Center where Jessica has her office.
She doesn’t take off her marketing hat very often, but sometimes replaces it with her selling hat. And then there’s her trucking hat. The meat orders she sells have to be delivered. She generally does her marketing and selling Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday and Friday she’s usually on the road. She makes the trip to Harvey to load the truck with the premium products and makes trips to as far south as Jamestown, as far east as Fargo, as far north as Bottineau and as far west as Velva, with stops in between.
Originally from Minot, she graduated from NDSU in 1999 with an ag economics degree with a business and marketing focus. Her first job was with Cenex-Harvest States in Minneapolis, Minn. as a grain marketer. Then she worked in Fargo for CalDak, Inc., an exporter of sunflowers and specialty crops. When Sheyenne Valley was looking for someone to run its operation, she jumped at the chance. Sheyenne Valley Marketing was incorporated in July of 2004 and Jessica is its first and only director.
She reports to a board of directors, most of whom are cattle producers.
Paul Kallenbach of Maddock is president, Tim DeMers of Rolla is vice president, Bruce Terpening of Maddock is secretary-treasurer, and board members are Dale Yri of Minnewaukan and Ken Niewoehner of Deering.
Terpening is a concrete contractor rather than a cattle producer, but he’s very knowledgable about business and economic development and start-up businesses. Sheyenne Valley Marketing, after all, is only nine months old, so it needs some expertise.
Another person who’s played a major role in establishment of this new company is Laura Every, director of the Champion Reap Alliance. She also has an office in the Maddock Business & Technology Center. "Laura’s the person I go to when I need help. She knows everybody and has contacts everywhere," said Jessica.
Laura arranged funds from the Center of North America Coalition (CONAC) Rural Economic Area Partnership (REAP) Zone. This is an organization that was the brainchild of US Sen. Byron Dorgan. Funded by USDA’s Rural Development, the CONAC REAP Zone is an effort to stop the outmigration of people from rural areas. Laura also arranged capital funds for the new business. And, she’s the manager of the Maddock Business & Technology Center, which provides low-cost rent while the business is in its infancy.
Once it’s up and running, it will pay the going rate for rent.
Other organizations which have backed Sheyenne Valley Marketing are the Maddock Economic Development Corp., which purchased stock in the company and the North Central Planning Council of Devils Lake, which purchased preferred stock.
Further information is available at www.sheyennevalley.com.
Jessica Budeau is shown in her office at the Maddock Business & Technology Center. She is the marketing director for Sheyenne Valley Marketing, which sells premium beef products processed at the slaughtering plant in Harvey.
The cattle come from North Dakota farms.
Ice mountains on Devils Lake
High winds April 14 drove ice off Devils Lake onto US 281 where it piled up like mountains on the rocks lining the highway. The ice was approximately
15 feet high in places. Benson County Agent Scott Knoke figured the ice mountains would be a good vantage point from which to do a little fishing.
Unfortunately, the wind was so strong he was unable to cast the lure into the water.
Knoke stands beside milepost 163, surrounded by ice. The crystal clear ice looked like it had just come out of a giant ice making machine. By Sunday the ice mountains were gone.
Ice on US 281 April 14 near Minnewaukan.
Big tom turkey
Roger Rieger of Menoken, left, shot this 20.9 lb. tom turkey on Graham’s Island near Minnewaukan April 10. The big tom had two beards and a menacing one-inch spike on his lower legs. Helping Rieger hold the big bird is Mark Motis of Minnewaukan.
Future looks positive for Harlow elevator
The Harlow Cooperative Elevator & Seed Company held its 77th annual meeting at the Maddock Community Center April 7.
President David Sears called the meeting to order and introduced the board:
vice president Matt Gilbertson; secretary Keith Smith; and directors Ross Hill, Randy Silliman and Gene E. Larson.
Blaine Christianson of Blaine Christianson & Associates read the audit. He congratulated manager Myron Uttermark and the board of directors on the job they are doing. He said the balance sheet shows a favorable trend.
Dale Enerson, ND Farmers Union (NDFU) economist, thanked the board for participating in the Co-op Outreach Program sponsored by NDFU and spoke on Biodiesel Holdings, Inc. He said that the NDFU would handle the procurement of purchasing canola for the new plant, which will be located in Minot, and that it could be another opportunity for the Harlow Co-op Elevator. He said the plant plans to use one-third to half of the canola grown in North Dakota for this project and that canola can be harvested a little greener than normal when used for biodiesel.
Benson County Farmers Union president Matt Gilbertson presented beverage coolers from the county organization to Uttermark and the board of directors for their continued support of dues checkoffs and educational funds. Gilbertson said the cooperative was important to the organization and that these funds are used to sponsor the Outreach Program, the youth program, the defensive driving courses and the other educational programs offered by NDFU. He said they also use the checkoff money to lobby for issues that are important to cooperatives.
Sears told patrons it had been a challenging year but that things were turning around and positive things were happening. He said the cooperative added some services and hired new employees.
Uttermark thanked retiring board member Gene Larson for his dedication the past 18 years on the board. He introduced the employees and thanked them for their service to the cooperative. He introduced new employees Nick Fautsch, Darryl Berg, Roxanne Gillespie and Shawn Knudson. Uttermark also recognized truckers and said they were important to the cooperative. He said the unique situation the cooperative has with Lake Region Grain has worked well for the company and its patrons. He said the agreement enables the cooperative to get shuttle rates and because of the large trade area he can often purchase better quality grain.
Daryl Berg of Walhalla Bean Company told patrons the market price for beans is so high no one is purchasing them. He said foreign markets will not pay the price and with no buyers he cannot continue buying. He explained that beans are one crop that cannot be hedged. He said beans are a specialty crop and are also dependent on the weather.
Election of officers was held with Randy Silliman and Keith Smith both re-elected to three-year terms. Gene Larson’s position on the board will not be filled to comply with the bylaws change to reduce the size of the board that was voted on two years ago.
The board of directors of the Harlow Co-op Elevator with its manager are pictured. Left to right are Randy Silliman of York, Matt Gilbertson and Ross Hill of Maddock, president David Sears of Minnewaukan, Keith Smith of Maddock and manager Myron Uttermark of Maddock.
Gene Larson of Leeds, left, is presented a plaque for serving 18 years as a member of the board of directors of the Harlow Co-op Elevator. Making the presentation is board president David Sears.
Visit Washington, DC
Myron Jury, left, Minnewaukan School superintendent, and Steve Jacobson, elementary principal at the Warwick School, traveled to Washington, DC to attend the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools convention and to meet with the North Dakota congressional delegation. Both men are officers in the North Dakota Impact Aid Assn. The conference was held April
2-5 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel near the Capitol. Highlights of the trip included meetings with Senators Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad and with aides to Rep. Earl Pomeroy, who was in North Dakota on spring break. The delegation is supportive of the Impact Aid Program.
Earns scholarship
This year’s recipient of the new Michael J. Pung Jr. Business Scholarship is Sheena O’Connell, a sophomore at Lake Region State College (LRSC) in Devils Lake enrolled in accounting and business administration. She is a
2003 graduate of Minnewaukan High School and is the daughter of Dwight and Lori O’Connell of Minnewaukan. On the left is Doug Darling, vice president for instructional services at LRSC and on the right is Stephanie Shock, distance education program coordinator for Mayville State University, which delivers a business degree to Devils Lake. The late Mike Pung was a Devils Lake businessman who was active in his community.
Bake & Take Day
The Happy Helpers 4-H Club met in March to bake banana chocolate chip cookies and cranberry pear bread for Bake & Take Day, which is sponsored by the ND Wheat Commission. A total of 20 gift bags of freshly-baked goods were taken to Maddock senior citizens. Left to right, back row, are leader Marie Williams, Jillian Maddock, Erin Maddock, Lindsey Maddock and leader Willard Westad. In the front row are Kyler Westad, Savana Nystrom, Kaleb Westad and Alyssa Nystrom.