ENGAGING LOCAL TASTES TO SATISFY A GLOBAL PALATE

David McDonald started training for his job as president and chief operating officer of the OSI Group more than 25 years ago when he was hired as the company’s first intern.

McDonald (’87 animal science) grew up on a family farm in Northeast Iowa and initially planned on veterinary school after graduation from Iowa State. But with the help of career service director Roger Bruene, he landed the internship that would lead McDonald to becoming president of a $5 billion multi-national food processing company.

He started full time as a project manager fresh out of college and worked his way through the ranks helping OSI expand, especially in Latin America and Asia.

“OSI’s heritage includes being the first beef patty supplier to Ray Kroc and McDonald’s in1955,” he says. “We’ve grown internationally with McDonald’s and have expanded that global network to meet other customers’ needs.”

McDonald says OSI’s “growth mentality” thrived because of its global relationship with McDonald’s, decentralized management and its commitment to food safety and quality standards. The company, headquartered in Aurora, Ill., has 47 processing facilities in 17 countries. It supplies fully cooked or ready-to-cook products—primarily protein—to many of the world’s leading food brands.

“No matter where we are—China, India, Poland—we feel it is important to know the local needs and respect traditions and cultural influences,” McDonald says. “We establish local management teams and allow them to make as many decisions as possible since they are much
closer to the customer.”

For example, OSI’s product development team in China developed rice-based items and shredded meats preferred by Chinese consumers. Collaboration with the local team resulted in successful new product launches for two global customers in the region.

Throughout his career McDonald says he’s seen customers take a more active role in understanding where and how their food is produced.

“Customers have always been focused on taste and quality, but over the last decade, they’ve asked more questions about how their product was processed, how it was raised and by whom. They want to make sure it was done in a sustainable manner to be sure people, places and resources aren’t exploited in the process,” he says.

Doing business in Europe led OSI to incorporate sustainability initiatives and develop organic and natural products before such trends were significant in the United States. OSI also is actively involved in making sure its operations and suppliers are meeting or exceeding animal welfare practice standards.

According to McDonald, OSI’s versatile supply chain approach allows the company to adapt to the many consumer demands worldwide. “Creating products for the highly informed and involved consumer is the future for OSI,” says McDonald.

Click here for McDonald’s Friday night chili recipe.

SCIENCE SETS STAGE FOR PATENT ATTORNEY

Andrea Falk Sellers is an attorney at Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP in Kansas City.

Andrea Falk Sellers feels at ease advising her clients as both a scientist and entrepreneur. With a career path that took her from decoding DNA to drawing up patents, she is as much of an entrepreneur as the clients
she counsels.

“Entrepreneurs take advantage of new opportunities. They aren’t afraid to change paths and try something new,” says Andrea Falk Sellers (’94 agricultural biochemistry), partner at Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP in Kansas City.

Falk Sellers works on patents, technology licensing agreements, trademarks and copyrights. She’s in the heart of the nation’s animal health corridor and many of her clients are agricultural-based companies in industries ranging from veterinary products to agrichemicals.

“One day I might be talking to an inventor about a new chemical compound and the next day I could be working on a worldwide patent strategy for a potential breakthrough drug technology,” she says.

Falk Sellers started out in agricultural biochemistry at Iowa State, but changed paths as a junior. She credits Don Beitz, Iowa State University Distinguished Professor in animal science, for giving her the guidance to pursue a career outside the laboratory.

“I decided I didn’t want to be a scientist, but I wanted to stay connected to science.  Dr. Beitz arranged a meeting with the patent attorneys that represented his lab at Iowa State—it was the best of both worlds,” says Falk Sellers.

Falk Sellers received her law degree from the University of Iowa in 1997. She recently returned to the law firm after three years as associate general counsel for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the world’s largest foundation devoted to entrepreneurship.

While at Kauffman, Falk Sellers worked on an internet startup initiative, the iBridge Network, designed to make university innovations more transparent and accessible to potential licensees, including entrepreneurs. During her tenure, the network increased from seven universities to 100 and from 700 innovations to 10,000.

At Stinson Morrison Hecker she is known for her expertise in intellectual property development and protection.  Tony Strait, Associate General Counsel at Ceva U.S. Holdings Inc., says her understanding of science allows her to comprehend the unique characteristics and market positioning of its animal health products.

“She gets our business, which makes her very effective and efficient in helping us achieve our objectives,” Strait says.

The Iowa State Program for Women in Science and Engineering introduced Falk Sellers to the lab and her career in science.  She spent the summer before her senior year in high school learning about sequencing gels and decoding DNA.

In October, Falk Sellers was recognized by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences for her achievements and received the Superior Achievement Award for Early or Mid-Career Alumni.

SUN RIPENED

As president of the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission, Nick Frey does a little bit of everything, including harvest grapes alongside consumers at Sonoma County Grape Camp.

A person would count themselves lucky to have enjoyed one successful career on the cusp of scientific breakthroughs in agriculture and improving farmer-profitability.

Nick Frey has had two.  Frey (’70 agronomy) had a 25-year career in research and new business development with Pioneer Hybrid International during the beginning of biotechnology. He left the industry and set out to enjoy the blue skies and warm temperatures of Sonoma County.

Along with great food, wine and weather, he found a new career using his science and communication skills to work with the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission.

As president, Frey directs $1.2 million annually from grower assessments to promote Sonoma County as one of the world’s premier grape growing regions.  The commission also funds researchon vineyard pests and diseases and conducts grower education.

Frey admits the diverse, small-scale agriculture of the wine grape industry seemed pretty foreign to him when he made the move from Iowa.

“I had no experience in grapes when I accepted this job, but my training in agronomy and plant physiology translates pretty well. And, my experience communicating in the controversial early days of biotech has come in handy,” Frey says.

The commission consists of 1,800 independent growers who sell to third party vintners. Frey says they have a few very large growers with more than 1,000 acres, but most members have 100 acres or less and 40 percent grow on less than 20 acres.

“The growers here are much like growers around the world—good people, down-to-earth.  The growers on my board are working for the interests of all grape growers and not for their personal agenda,” Frey says.

Grower education is an important part of the commission. It offers integrated pest management meetings; organic producer groups; pruning contests for vineyard employees and youth; tradeshows; and several programs on marketing, profitability and issues affecting grape demand.  They also offer an employee development program for Spanish speakers.

Frey says they partner with vintners and the county tourism bureau to get the most bang for their marketing buck.  Working together the county pulls in $1.3 billion each year from tourism.

They target consumers and wineries through conventional marketing, but much of their efforts are online. Their website is rich with interactive features like maps, wine guides, grower profiles and a grape marketplace. The commission also has a presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

“We want people to connect with our growers. We host sommeliers, offer tastings and tours in our vineyards. We go on the road jointly with vintners to major U.S. cities to host tasting events,” Frey says. “We also offer a fantasy grape camp that pampers guests with great food and wine for two and a half days while experiencing the harvest and crush first hand.”

Frey says building relationships among growers, customers and “gatekeepers” like sommeliers, retailers and the media is essential to building their regional brand.

TWO ACRES, TWO WOMEN, ONE FARM

Maggie Howe has found her own place in agriculture by partnering with her mother to create natural bath and body care products from the herbs grown on their two-acre farm.

Maggie Howe’s products are a bit different from those of most Iowa farmers.

Handmade, natural bath and body care products and luxury pampering items like “magic mud” are among the offerings created from the bounty of her herb farm Praireland Herbs, near Woodward.

Howe and her mother and business partner Donna Julseth are at home with other niche farmers in her area, as well as conventional farmers.  As she says, they all strive for the same goal.

“We are taking our land and skills and using that to create a sustainable
livelihood.  Everyone wants to do that whether they grow sheep or corn or vegetables,” Howe says.  “We can learn a lot from each other.”

Howe (’98 public service and administration in agriculture, environmental studies), and Julseth have been growing herbs for their bath and body products for nearly 13 years on the two acres Howe grew up on.

Their products contain no synthetic colors or preservatives, and Howe says they are made with ingredients found in a typical kitchen.  Olive oil, cooking
oil, flour, honey, oatmeal and beeswax round out their list of ingredients.  They are not certified organic, “too much paperwork,” Howe says, but they buy certified organic, fair trade and locally produced ingredients whenever possible.

Their key to success has been finding a loyal customer base online and creating products they need and want.  Prairieland Herbs offers difficult-to-find products like natural hair, baby and pet care that “come up high in Google search rankings” according to Howe. They do offer their products at local farmers markets, but 75-80 percent of their business is done online with orders placed from around the world.

“Since we’re literally in the middle of a cornfield we always knew we couldn’t rely on people walking in the door,” Howe says. “We know our customers through our blog, Facebook and e-mails. We take Midwest friendliness and put it online.”

Howe says working with her mom is “fantastic.” Howe focuses on product development, marketing, promotion and the farm’s online presence. With a background in conservation education, Julseth is especially suited for growing the herbs and dealing with customers. Julseth also teaches classes and brings in other educators to offer how-to sessions on making lip balm, natural dying, growing herbs, drying herbs and cooking with herbs, among others.

From a young age, Howe always knew she’d be her own boss.  And she has used her education and inherent can-do spirit to find her own place in agriculture.

“There’s many different reasons women come to niche agriculture today, but to succeed they have to believe in themselves and partner and trust others in their agriculture network,” Howe says.

Value-added and niche enterprises seem to hold special opportunities for women entrepreneurs. Howe has seen it first hand.