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SWEETS & TREATS SHOW EXTRA www.gourmetnews.com n MAY 2019 n GOURMET NEWS ST 2 0 Bison Snacks Bringing Buffalo Back to Native Lands By Robin Mather Since 2007, Tanka – the Lakota word for "a large, or the largest, all-encompassing idea," says Mike Tilsen, President of Native American Natural Foods – has given bright hope to one of the country's poorest populations. For the Oglala Lakota who live on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, in Kyle, South Dakota, Tanka has also come to mean a way for- ward that provides pride and dignity. Pine Ridge is the second largest reservation in the country, comprised of about 2.9 million acres. Tilsen, together with Karlene Hunter, Chief Executive Officer and co-Founder of Native American Natural Foods, are social entrepreneurs, with "a lot of projects" under their belts, he says. When bison producers approached the pair in 2006 for help in finding ways to add value to their product, Tilsen and Hunter were ready to help. "There was a glut of buf- falo trim on the market at the time, so we did a big study to figure out what is the best for the reservation," Tilsen says. Trim is the meat left after prime cuts are removed from the bison car- cass. Tilsen and Hunter's thoughts turned to wasna – the Lakota word for the high- ly nutritious blend of dried fruit, dried meat and fat that sustained warriors on long hunts and other travels. Some tribes called the same mixture pemmi- can, the Cree word for "all mixed up." The idea of preserving meat with fat and fruit is almost universal, Tilsen says. "Every culture in the world has a word for this. People trying to survive from feast to famine would mix the richest fat with meat to preserve it for the future. We removed the fat because people don't need those extra calories today," he says. "So, we started to work with the community to develop a healthy snack. We wanted to move our producers from the bottom of the economic chain to the top," he says. The company has always used clean-ingredient practices. "We don't use any chemicals at all. It's a real- ly great-tasting, really high-energy prod- uct that also helps restore the prairie and the people," he says. The idea had other merits, he says: "To bring back those buffalo, to put them back on the land – to make them part of our culture again," he says. The Sioux connection to the buffalo is deeply spiri- tual; the Lakota consider the buffalo a sister nation, Tilsen says. Prepared with prototype samples, in 2007, "we went to a large community pow-wow to do a quiet launch," Tilsen says. "We took it to a Black Hills pow- wow, passed out samples, and the local press loved it." In a combination of nightmare and dream-come-true, Tilsen says dryly, "Ten days later, we were in the New York Times. We definitely weren't prepared for that." Imitation as Problematic Flattery Today, meat snacks from jerky to meat sticks are among the fastest growing seg- ments of the snack industry. Driven by consumer demand for high-protein snacks, the segment is now a $2.8 bil- lion category with predictions by Nielsen for a 4.2 percent annual growth through 2022. Nielsen says the average annual household spends $25.82 a year on meat snacks alone. But growth in the meat snacks seg- ment has meant Tanka has had to face new competitors. "The multi-national corporations have given us the compliment of plagia- rism," says Tilsen, meaning that they've seen Tanka's success and want to emulate it themselves. "We're affected by the intense competition, but we're really heartened by the huge amount of support the brand has. It's a really viable product that many people love." Tanka Brand products – which include bars, sticks and bites – are available in 4,000 to 5,000 stores nationally, Tilsen says. One-ounce bars have 7 grams of protein and have a sug- gested retail price of $2.99. One-ounce sticks, offering 6 grams of protein, have a suggested retail price of $1.99. Bites, which come in a 3-ounce resealable bag, are made from the same formula as the bars but are cut into smaller pieces and have a suggested retail price of $6.99. Tanka Brands also makes a Warrior Bar, a 2-ounce bar, with a sug- gested retail price of $5.99. All are made with bison, wild rice, dried berries and natural flavorings such as chile peppers or orange peel. The competition has proven diffi- cult, pushing Tanka Brand into a renewed growth mode. "We're in the process of closing new financing," Tilsen says. "We're fairly small in terms of our team." Portion of Proceeds Benefits a Non-Profit While producers are paid for their prod- uct, 10 percent of Tanka Brand's profits go to the Tanka Fund, a national cam- paign to return buffalo to the land, diets and economies of the American Indian people, according to the company's web- site, www.tankafund.org. One of the fund's objectives is to assist those who live on the reservation in starting in bison production themselves by helping them buy stock and arrange for grazing land. "Land access is one of the biggest challenges," says Tilsen. "We work with other tribes to return buffalo to millions of acres of land. On the rez, you have to lease or buy checkerboarded land. Each person's case is a very intensive project, but it does provide people without resources or access to land a chance to grow into the industry." Consumers respond to Tanka Brand's story, he says. "For the con- sumer, one of the reasons we say we are growing is that we're focused on the truth. Consumers aren't interested in the marketing story; they want reality. Our reality is that the Lakota people have been with the buffalo throughout histo- ry." That, in itself, brings dignity and pride, he says. "We get to tell that story by offering people this incredible prod- uct, so we're pretty proud of it." Rogue Creamery Named "Best for the World" Since its founding in 1933, Rogue Creamery's handmade cheeses have won widespread acclaim and dozens of awards, including two back-to-back "Best of Show" American Cheese Society Competition wins (2009 and 2011) and the honor of "World's Best Blue Cheese" (2003) – distinctions that have put this small, Oregon-based busi- ness on the international stage. But being a leader in the specialty cheese industry is only a part of Rogue Creamery's vision for the future. As Oregon's first public benefit cor- poration (B Corporation), Rogue Creamery has built a reputation of being a force for good. It strives to do more than be best in the world; it also wants to be best for the world. Now Rogue Creamery has been hon- ored for doing just that. Out of more than 2,400 Certified B Corporations around the world, Rogue Creamery has been singled out for creat- ing extraordinary positive impact in its community and environment by winning a place on the 2018 "Best for the World" lists. This is the second year in a row that Rogue Creamery has been honored with this distinction. "As a mission-driven public benefit corporation, we want to do so much more than make better cheese," commented David Gremmels, President of Rogue Creamery. "We want to make a better future, too." Rogue Creamery now produces USDA certified organic cheese – one ini- tiative that contributed to its "Best for the World" ranking. At the company's organic dairy farm, it embraces sustainable solutions that increase both herd and soil health, while also helping with carbon sequestration. This includes an automatic milking system, intensive rotational grazing prac- tices and an innovative waste repurposing system. Rogue Creamery has installed solar pan- els at its dairy and cheesemaking facili- ties and has enacted a plan to generate 100 percent of its own energy needs by 2023. Rogue Creamery also pursues ini- tiatives aimed at building sustainability in its communities through team-led vol- unteering and charitable donation pro- grams. Gremmels added, "Being named 'Best for the World' shows that we're doing it right. Our actions make a real difference – and our hope is that they inspire others to do the same." The Best for the World Lists are based on an inde- pendent audit administered by the nonprofit B Lab, which measures a compa- ny's influence on its work- ers, community, customers and the environment. Businesses that earn scores in the top 10 percent of all B Corporations win a spot on the Best for the World lists. Rogue Creamery placed on the 2018 Overall Best for the World list, as well as B Lab's Best for the World – Environment list. For more information about Rogue Creamery, call 541.665.1155 or visit www.roguecreamery.com. Discover the Healthy Sweetness in The Organic Candy Factory's Gummy Bears The Organic Candy Factory, located in Los Angeles, California, was founded in 2010 by Ginger Taurek, who was five years old at the time. Her mother, Piper Cochrane, took her daughter's fantasy and made it real – and organic. All of The Organic Candy Factory's products are made with fruit pectin. They are gluten free, gelatin free, pesticide free and non-GMO. There are no preserva- tives, corn syrup or nuts. The candies are vegan and kosher. In 2019, the company will unveil four new flavors, more sizes and some holiday-specific items. Ginger, now 13, says proudly, "Organic candy tastes better, why settle for second best? Our Organic Gummy Bears are one-of-a-kind." Through her company, Ginger wants to change the way candy is viewed. She wants to reach folks who want healthy sweets, whether they are three years old, or 103. The Organic Candy Factory's Gummy Bears are not only naturally sweet to eat because of the organic sugar used to make them, they actually con- tain healthy nutrients (minerals) that candy made with non-organic sugar lack. Don't miss the delight; discover the healthy sweetness in Organic Gummy Bears. For more information, call 310.309.7461 or go to www.organiccandyfactory.com.