Story by DEBORAH DRAGSETH

A strong and independent business base is essential for building what economists call a “local, living community.” Although certainly not a new movement, a “buy local” philosophy becomes even more important during an economic downturn as economic growth is driven by small and startup businesses.

Gregg Vanourek, co-author of the popular new book, Life Entrepreneurs: Ordinary People Creating Extraordinary Lives, and keynote speaker at Dickinson State University’s recent Strom Entrepreneurial Conference, noted that many of today’s largest and most successful businesses began during The Great Depression.

Motorola, Xerox, Revlon, Converse and Hewlett-Packard are just a sampling of enterprises founded during an economic time that was much tougher than we are facing today. Vanourek told Business Watch that entrepreneurs should understand that industry opportunities are often countercyclical.

During times of economic malaise, essential consumables such as health care and groceries tend to be resistant to recessionary pressures while sales of luxury products such as European vacations, diamond rings and swimming pools tend to suffer.

“The entrepreneur should focus his or her radar on opportunity exploitation,” said Vanourek. “Large companies are complex. Small companies have the advantage of being more nimble and quick to respond to the needs of their markets.”

A recent national study found that only 17 percent of Americans, just one out of six adults, buy local “as often as possible.” North Dakota retailers, farms and manufacturers are the lifeblood of our communities.

Many are family-owned and have been in operation for generations. Business Watch would like to introduce our readers to four western North Dakota producers, who are all members of Pride of Dakota, a marketing program that showcases North Dakota-made products.

Catherine’s for Lamb

www.catherinesforlamb.com Native New Zealander Catherine “Kate” Monro came to North Dakota on a holiday. While here, she met and fell in love with Kent Pfennig.

“In New Zealand,” Monro said, “lamb is as popular as beef is here. I missed having access to high-quality lamb, so I started raising my own on our Driscoll farm.”

Fifteen years later, Monro has 350 breeding ewes and a growing business. Her dream is to be “the Omaha Steaks of lamb.” Marketing lamb has been a bit of an uphill battle in North Dakota according to Kate.

“On average, Americans eat less than one half pound of lamb a year; in New Zealand, that number is over 40 pounds per person.”

On the positive side, people are becoming more and more concerned about sustainability and where their food comes from, a plus for companies like Catherine’s for Lamb that provide all-natural, grass fed meat.

The company relies on the Internet to reach out beyond their small community to a larger market. “On a good Friday night, with all my family visiting,” according to Monro, “Driscoll may boast 100 people.”

Another challenge for the company is that there is no infrastructure for processing lamb in North Dakota. Catherine’s for Lamb uses a familyowned processing facility 140 miles away in Parshall.

Monro is about to release a line of mint sauce and jelly that will be manufactured by fellow Pride of Dakota member Mabel’s Taste of Home. She will also be offering frozen dinner kits for Irish stew and slowcooked pot roast.

Catherine’s for Lamb can be purchased in grocery stores in Bismarck, Dickinson and Fargo. It’s served at the Pirogue Grill and Mr. Delicious restaurants in Bismarck and 10 North Main in Minot.

Bessy’s Best, LLC

Blaine and Cathy Goetz are up and working most mornings by 4:00. After milking for 30 years on their second and third generation farm northeast of Sterling, the family decided in 2008 to start a processing plant, producing and distributing natural, whole milk.

The family’s motto is: From the cow, to the bottle, to the store, nothing is added or taken out. Marketing has not been a problem for the dairy.

Goetz said that local television interviews have helped get their product known, but the most effective marketing technique is taking the farm to the city by demonstrating the milk in grocery stores.

Bessy’s Best is priced comparatively to other milk brands, and has only 20 more calories per glass than 2 percent milk. The family noted that people are surprised at the freshness and quality of their product and often become fans after their first taste.

Bessy’s Best milk is sold at Dan’s Supermarkets in Dickinson and Bismarck and Cashwise Supermarket in Bismarck. Or, they invite you to stop out at the farm, grab a half gallon out of the refrigerator in the barn and leave your payment in the nearby can.

Badlands Brew Coffee Bar & Roasterie

www.badlandsbrew.com A former teacher looking for a new challenge, Dana Kostelecky knew that she also wanted to be home with her family on nights and weekends. Badlands Brew offered her everything that she was looking for in an entrepreneurial venture.

Located in a circa 1886 former Episcopalian church on Sims Street in downtown Dickinson, the quaint coffee and sandwich shop roasts coffee on site and offers house blends including Medora, Bully and Roughrider.

In fact, the shop’s entire menu echoes one of the Badlands most famous residents, Teddy Roosevelt, who was known to worship at the church. Kostelecky enjoys fostering partnerships with other local businesses.

“We use milk from Bessy’s Best dairy, baked goods from Baker Boy, and sell gift items manufactured by our fellow entrepreneurs who are members of Pride of North Dakota,” she said.

Lapp’s Bakery, LLC

www.lappskuchen.com Myron and Betty Lapp love to tell people that their popular kuchen recipe “takes over where Grandma left off.” Lapp’s bakery sells 30 flavors of kuchen, a German dessert, in retail outlets spanning five states.

Having been in the grocery business for 40 years, the Lapps knew they didn’t want to put their own product on the shelves unless it was the best on the market, and they believe that it is.

After experimenting with many different recipes and with area cooks of German descent, they finally hit on the perfect recipe. The Lapps have enlarged their bakery five times in the past 10 years to support the baking of their all natural, nopreservatives kuchen.

They deliver the product themselves within 100 miles of Hebron, but rely on distributors to take the product farther into the marketplace.

Myron noted, “Since we use distributors, we don’t always know where our kuchen will show up; once we shipped our kuchen to the Pentagon for a Cherry Blossom Festival—that was pretty neat.”