Issue 33
January 2001

Copyright
Prairie Grains Magazine
January 2001

Domestic Promotion Highlights 2000

Fighting anti-carbohydrate fad diets
The Minnesota wheat checkoff helps funds the Wheat Foods Council, which promotes increased consumption of grain-based food through nutrition, education and promotional programs.

An aggressive program across the country aimed at negating anti-carbohydrate fad diets—which can affect domestic grains consumption—continues to be a key program focus. The WFC is targeting media and opinion leaders, including physicians/nurses, health/nutrition leaders, fitness leaders and policy makers.

Online Bread Resource Launched: www.smartbread.com
With just a click, health, food and nutrition editors now have 24-hour access to a wealth of bread information.

Launched in January and located at www. smartbread. com, the online bread resource center for media was developed as part of the Wheat Foods Council and American Bakers Association’s bread and rolls program.

To announce the site and drive Web site-traffic, the WFC sent a postcard to key health, food, and nutrition editors nationwide.

Featuring nutrition information, facts, news releases, recipes, food photography, and bread serving suggestions, the site proactively addresses bread-related issues that are designed to combat the myth that bread is fattening.

Jensen Named Marketing Group Coordinator
The MWRPC strengthened its commitment to the development of marketing clubs in Minnesota by working with the Northland Community and Technical College to hire Betsy Jensen as marketing group coordinator.

In her new position, Jensen is headquartered out of the MWRPC office in Red Lake Falls, but is working regionally with various marketing groups to coordinate information flow and activities among the groups. Jensen says that in addition to providing a centralized information hub for the leaders and participants of the various marketing groups, she will also be launching several new marketing groups in the region.

Jensen farms near Stephen, MN with her husband Brian. Prior to accepting the marketing coordinator position, she worked as a licensed broker with Progressive Ag Marketing, based in Fargo, ND.

FarmConnect
The Minnesota Wheat Checkoff has played a key role in the formation of value-added initiatives, such as Spring Wheat Bakers, and now FarmConnect, a new-farmer owned alliance that organized last spring with more than 600 producers from across Minnesota joining the new farmer-owned alliance. The effort is aimed at establishing closer connections with buyers and end users of farm commodities in the marketplace. Warroad producer and MWRPC chair Art Brandli serves as the first chair of FarmConnect. More information about the effort may be found online at www.farmconnect.com.