Shepherd's Grain -- Taking a Commodity and Making Their Own Niche

Shepherd's Grain -- Taking a Commodity and Making Their Own Niche

Most wheat producers are price takers, however about 20 years ago two Washington Wheat growers — Fred Fleming and Karl Kupers decided that they wanted to change how they approached marketing their product. They began Shepherd's Grain a sustainable company producing flour products. Now almost 60 growers raising wheat for Shepherd’s Grain throughout the Pacific Northwest, southern Alberta and southern California.
Shepherd’s Grain was honored last week at the Pacific Northwest Farm Form with the 2016 Excellence in Ag Award and I visited with one of the founders Fred Fleming and asked for his thoughts.
Fleming: “What really is inspiring me most about this award was how many people helped us to get to this point — that Karl and I were in the right place and the right time with the right people that allowed us to take advantage of the market place because the consumer wants to know where their food comes from. The consumer wants to know the face behind the food and how to trace it back to the land.”
He mentioned by name Bob French who was instrumental in getting the ADM Milling Company to not only listen to their idea but participate in making it a reality. He continues
Fleming: “I always kid Karl — that it was perseverance and ignorance that prevail. It wasn’t the fact that we were ignorant. We were ignorant to the fact that we couldn’t do it. We were ignorant to the fact that these barriers that others had put in place didn't exist. We didn’t know about them. We just went and did it but with that support system around us — they helped us break those barriers. And we stand here today with this award because of that.”
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