Dave and Florence Minar have become legendary in Minnesota for their old-fashioned milk in returnable glass bottles. After years of selling their milk to distributors, in 2002 the Minars began to package and market their own milk and cream, as well as homemade cheese, yogurt, and ice cream. The Minars' dairy processing plant takes advantage of new technology that makes it feasible for small farmers to process their own products. Much of Cedar Summit's equipment is imported from Israel, and their deliberately small-scale operation is one of the first of its kind in the Midwest. Cedar Summit dairy products are sold on-site or delivered to food co-ops and grocery stores. To add one more old-fashioned touch to the business, Laura Minar Ganske delivers bottled milk and other products door-to-door for customers in the area.
For the Minars, who are Minnesota Farmers Union members, their new processing plant provides a way to strengthen rural communities as well as the viability of the family farm. "I believe customers are going back to local markets," explains Florence Minar. "Customers want to know where their food comes from, and ours are extremely happy knowing how our animals are raised." In addition, because Dave and Florence are responsible for their products at every stage from milking to marketing, they are able to get their kids and even their grandkids involved. "I think small operations are becoming more of a trend," says Florence. "This way, our family gets the profits of the work we do together."
Food Alliance certification was a logical step for the Minars, who stopped using chemicals 30 years ago when they noticed increasing allergies, dying wildlife, and a lack of bees. Today, their cattle graze most of the year and are fed stored forage during the winter. As they continue to strengthen their operation, the Minars hope that the combination of Food Alliance certification and, more recently, organic certification will increase consumer awareness and give credibility to their environmental claims. As Florence explains, "We just like things the natural way."
