Author: Roger Matz

Feature Story

Davisco Foods International

It sounds like a fairy tale, but once upon a time creameries discarded whey and buttermilk, giving it to farmers who spread it on fields or fed it to calves.

Now an entire industry exists to capture the nutritious ingredients locked in these once-snubbed fluids. One of the leaders in that industry is Davisco Foods International, Inc., based in Le Sueur, where veteran employees still remember the days of whey-splattered fields and calves suckled on buttermilk.

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Feature Story

Rainbow Woods

Lessons learned the hard way tend to be lessons remembered. Richard and Debbie Halvorson, who are tantalizingly close to profitability at Rainbow Woods, Inc. in Le Center, digested their share along a red-ink road since 1990. After nurturing two radically different product lines in three different communities for eight years, the Halvorsons now realize: Marketing means making more than one sales call.

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Feature Story

Internet Connections

When future historians get around to naming eras and establishing turning points, expect 1993 to be a year students must memorize. That’s when commoners gained entrance to a domain previously reserved for Knights of Academia (colleges and universities) and the Ruling Elite (government agencies).

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Feature Story

Four Flags Over Aspen

Ever tried to muzzle a ferret? What about a timber wolf? Probably not. But if the need arises, Cindi Gaterud of rural Janesville has already designed muzzles or hoods for ferrets, wolves, elk and other creatures. She helps veterinarians and a variety of animal-handlers minimize one of their major occupational hazards – puncture wounds from sharp teeth.

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Feature Story

The Ryter Corp.

There’s nothing more affectionate than a purring kitten settled in your lap, nothing more appealing than a frisky puppy who wants to play. America is a nation of pet-lovers. But, ah, there’s a downside. Pets, uhm, even the best-groomed pets, sometimes create unpleasant odors. So do swine herds, turkey flocks and the mess that’s left after you clean a stringer of walleyes.

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