Ardent Mills, the premier flour-milling and ingredient company, is launching its Great Plains Quinoa™ with the largest quinoa growing network in North America. Ardent Mills will bring transparency, ground breaking scale and the consistent quality needed to support the mainstream growth of quinoa with consumers, food manufacturers, bakeries, retailers and restaurants in the U.S. and Canada.

"We are very excited about the relationship we now have with Ardent Mills,” says Joe Dutcheshen, a quinoa farmer-supplier. “We have seen the positive impact their commitment to double organic wheat acres has had on North American farmers and the organic wheat supply and know that level of commitment will have a similar impact in the quinoa market."

"Ardent Mills is joining forces with North American quinoa farmers to ensure both supply and predictable pricing for quinoa whether as an entrée, side dish, in artisan-style bread or in many other culinary applications," adds Bill Stoufer, Ardent Mills chief operating officer. "We are always looking for ways that grains can nourish what's next for communities, customers and consumers. We are applying our leading food safety standards, operations expertise, grower and customer relationships to support the growth of this great tasting and nutritious food." 

Both the Dutcheshen family and Ardent Mills have a long history with quinoa in North America. Joe Dutcheshen began evaluating different varieties of South American quinoa seeds on his family farm in 1992.

Ardent Mills began promoting quinoa as the star of its Ancient Grains line in 2007.

"Quinoa is recognized as a true superfood," says Dutcheshen. "As a pharmacist and multi-generational farmer, I was looking for a crop that was healthful and could provide a value-add from the farm to the consumer. Quinoa does both! Quinoa is in the same plant family as other nutritious foods – spinach, beets and amaranth. Through traditional selective breeding over a period of 15 years, we have produced a North American quinoa that is acclimated to the cooler climate, has a variety of natural resistances and a shorter growing season."

Leading the movement in ancient grains, quinoa usage has shown double-digit growth in entrées, sides and kids' menus, according to Technomic Inc.'s MenuMonitor 2016 “Left Side of the Menu: Soup & Salad Consumer Trend” report. From 2012 to 2016, sales from products containing quinoa have grown sevenfold. Quinoa continues to surge in usage and is increasingly included in nutrition bars, ready-to-eat cereal, oatmeal, gluten-free foods, tortilla chips, crackers, snacks, prepared dinners and side dishes, all in a variety of packaging. 

"The quinoa market is often affected by South American supply challenges and spikes in pricing," says Mike Veal, Ardent Mills vice president of marketing. “With all the unique aspects and certainty of this program, we are introducing locally grown quinoa under our new Ardent Mills Great Plains Quinoa™ brand. This will help clearly define our quinoa as grown in North America along with all the assurances that are available from Ardent Mills. Assurances include supporting North American family farms in the program and our commitment to food safety, quality, supply and transparency. We are also committed to price predictability and can offer up to a two-year price guarantee."

Ardent Mills Great Plains Quinoa™ line includes seeds, whole grain flour, flakes, crisps, custom multigrain blends and mixes. All of these products are available in bulk, 50-pound bags and small pack options. Ardent Mills Great Plains Quinoa can also be blended with red and black varieties. For more information or to purchase, please contact Ardent Mills at 888-685-2534.

Ardent Mills has a strong record for innovation and creating markets for foods that raise the standard of health: Ultragrain® white whole wheat; Sustagrain® barley, the highest fiber commercially available whole grain; and SafeGuard® flour as well as SafeGuard® Treatment and Delivery System are just a few examples.  

About Ardent Mills
Ardent Mills is the premier flour-milling and ingredient company whose vision is to be the trusted partner in nurturing its customers, consumers and communities through innovative and nutritious grain-based solutions. Ardent Mills' operations and services are supported by more than 40 flour mills and bakery-mix facilities along with a specialty bakery and Mobile Innovation Center, all located in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Deeply rooted in communities throughout North America, Ardent Mills is headquartered in Denver, Colo., and employs more than 100 certified millers, supporting thousands of local jobs and contributing billions of dollars to local economies. To learn more about Ardent Mills, visit ardentmills.com.