Purity Seeds, LLC
Flax is among the grains grown on Bethke Farms located in rural Raymond South Dakota. As the family explored ways to add value to their produce, Wanda Bethke, who owns and operates Bethke Farms with her husband Gene, established the business Purity Seeds in 2006. The first sales, made at farm shows, local groceries and on eBay, consisted of flax seed for human consumption in zip lock bags with computer printed labels. Eventually a grinder, bag sealer and professionally printed labels were added to streamline the local process.
Recognizing the likelihood of market growth to consumers who are becoming more nutritionally conscious, Wanda began to take steps to expand her business. She became a client of the Watertown Small Business Development Center in early 2007 and began to write a comprehensive business plan where she identified the phases required -- first to evaluate feasibility of the ideas and then to take her business to the next level. The objectives Wanda listed were: to develop a line of ready-to-make mixes containing flax, to promote and sell this line to specialty and health food stores and to build a facility to grind and package these products.
In addition to sales of flax seed in 1, 2 and 25 pound bags, Wanda began to sell ground flax in 1½ pound bags. Then, through consultation with the University of Nebraska Food Processing Center she began to develop several ready-to-make mixes using ground flax. Flax is considered a functional food as it offers many health benefits to the consumer. The trend is toward more nutritionally based foods with less sugar and oil, therefore, flax containing its own Omega-3 oil results in the reductions of other oils in a recipe. The mixes that Wanda developed for the Purity Seeds brand included: sugar and chocolate chip cookies; chewy granola bars and buttermilk pancakes. These mixes are healthy and convenient and a delicious way to add the health benefits of flax to the daily diet.
The next expansion for Purity Seeds LLC included taking the ready-to-make mixes to various gift shops and farmers markets. In addition, the products are currently offered for sale on-line at http://www.madeinsouthdakota.com and orders have gone to several states and countries. Wanda has retained a developer to create the website for Purity Seeds LLC to generate more sales opportunities as well as to provide information related to the benefits of healthy nutritional choices.
In the Fall of 2008, Wanda will take her product(s) to a national food trade show and in Spring 2009 will begin a direct marketing campaign and demonstrations at events targeted toward specialty and health food markets in six metropolitan areas. Additionally contact will be made with distributors and wholesalers.
Wanda currently works with a co-packer to package the flax that is grown, cleaned and ground at the Bethke Farms into the ready-to-make mixes. Plans for the next phase include the construction of an enlarged cleaning facility and a packaging plant so that the Bethke’s will be able to produce the value-added component in rural South Dakota.
Wanda says, "Belinda was extremely helpful in getting the financials for the business plan done. She went through each item needed for the financials then printed it for our business plan. After it was printed she also explained to me what all the numbers actually meant. Belinda was also very helpful in my preparation for the Giant Vision Competition in Sioux Falls. She provided me with information on how to do an elevator pitch and business presentations. She even took the time to listen to part of the presentation and helped me fine tune it. I really appreciate all the help she has given to get our business plan done, enter the Giant Vision Competition, and understanding all the financials so we know where our business may take us."
More information about Purity Seeds LLC and the benefits of flax can be obtained visiting the website at: http://www.purityseedsusa.com or by e-mailing Wanda at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
In addition to sales of flax seed in 1, 2 and 25 pound bags, Wanda began to sell ground flax in 1½ pound bags. Then, through consultation with the University of Nebraska Food Processing Center she began to develop several ready-to-make mixes using ground flax. Flax is considered a functional food as it offers many health benefits to the consumer. The trend is toward more nutritionally based foods with less sugar and oil, therefore, flax containing its own Omega-3 oil results in the reductions of other oils in a recipe. The mixes that Wanda developed for the Purity Seeds brand included: sugar and chocolate chip cookies; chewy granola bars and buttermilk pancakes. These mixes are healthy and convenient and a delicious way to add the health benefits of flax to the daily diet.
The next expansion for Purity Seeds LLC included taking the ready-to-make mixes to various gift shops and farmers markets. In addition, the products are currently offered for sale on-line at http://www.madeinsouthdakota.com and orders have gone to several states and countries. Wanda has retained a developer to create the website for Purity Seeds LLC to generate more sales opportunities as well as to provide information related to the benefits of healthy nutritional choices.
In the Fall of 2008, Wanda will take her product(s) to a national food trade show and in Spring 2009 will begin a direct marketing campaign and demonstrations at events targeted toward specialty and health food markets in six metropolitan areas. Additionally contact will be made with distributors and wholesalers.
Wanda currently works with a co-packer to package the flax that is grown, cleaned and ground at the Bethke Farms into the ready-to-make mixes. Plans for the next phase include the construction of an enlarged cleaning facility and a packaging plant so that the Bethke’s will be able to produce the value-added component in rural South Dakota.
Wanda says, "Belinda was extremely helpful in getting the financials for the business plan done. She went through each item needed for the financials then printed it for our business plan. After it was printed she also explained to me what all the numbers actually meant. Belinda was also very helpful in my preparation for the Giant Vision Competition in Sioux Falls. She provided me with information on how to do an elevator pitch and business presentations. She even took the time to listen to part of the presentation and helped me fine tune it. I really appreciate all the help she has given to get our business plan done, enter the Giant Vision Competition, and understanding all the financials so we know where our business may take us."
More information about Purity Seeds LLC and the benefits of flax can be obtained visiting the website at: http://www.purityseedsusa.com or by e-mailing Wanda at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
| Next > |
|---|
