Agri Leader

Pasta & Granola
Hermann’s adventure in making pasta goes back to
growing up in southern Germany where pasta was favoured
as the diet staple, unlike the northern part of
the country where potatoes were the norm. He remembers
as a young boy helping his mother making noodles
(‘spaetzl’ in German), to enjoy and to sell in the neighbourhood
and surrounding area.
The sale of pasta seemed a good fit with eggs for his
retail, restaurant and institutional customers. He began
offering pasta in 1993 and expanded production
with a new plant built in 1998 that includes a retail outlet,
called the Food Shed.
Nature’s Farm Pasta comes in many forms, many
varieties and is a handmade artisanal pasta available
to both the retail and food-service trade.
Hermann says, “Although uncommon, to meet my
commitment to a single highest level standard, organic
eggs are used exclusively in the pasta ensuring the certified
organic qualification.”
Nature’s Farm line of granola products began in 2008
with five different recipes and flavours from Hemp Seed
Muesli, to Chocolate Crunch, to Cinnamon Harvest and
more. Granola is sold in the Food Shed and through his
many wholesale customers. The labelling on granola
includes the standard full Nutrition Facts and the various
features – such as Omega 3, fibre, wheat free (Gluten
free), nut free as they apply to each recipe.
An interesting side bar relates to the changing knowledge
and interest of the consumer public. Hermann explains,
“One example is that at farmer’s markets 8 to
10 years ago we had inquiries every day about Omega
3, but recently in the last three years or so, very few.
These are relatively mature subjects with consumers.
It will be interesting to see what new nutritional questions
and features will come up in the future.”
These products are sold at farmer’s markets, at the
Food Shed and delivered to institutional and restaurant
customers. “Our products are not sold through distributors
within Manitoba. I remain the face of Nature’s
Farm as the sales representative, the face of the business.
This is relationship selling.”
“This is relationship selling”
Hermann received a business degree from Red River
College in 1991. He has applied the principles well in
Hermann Grauer and Nathan Martens, Hi-Pro Poultry Specialist,
Hi-Pro, St. Anne, MB, in the egg storage cool room, automatic
egg sorting, grading and stacking
AGRI LEADER » 2016
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