Colorado Wheat and ConAgra Donate 24 Tons of Flour to Food Bank of the Rockies

Contact: Glenda Mostek
Communications and Marketing Director
gmostek@coloradowheat.org
Phone: 970-449-6994

Colorado Wheat and ConAgra Donate 24 Tons of Flour to Food Bank of the Rockies

 April 15, 2014, Fort Collins, Colo. – In honor of National Agriculture Week, March 25-30, the Colorado Wheat Administrative Committee (CWAC) and the Colorado Association of Wheat Growers (CAWG) teamed with ConAgra Mills to donate 24 tons (48,000 pounds) of Ultragrain® blend flour to the Food Bank of the Rockies. The donation, with a retail value of more than $38,304, provides 9,600 5-lb. bags of flour for distribution to families in need in Colorado. This is the fifth consecutive year for this donation.

This is enough flour to make over 100,000 one-pound loaves of bread. Ultragrain® flour has the fiber and nutrition of whole grain but the taste, texture and appearance of refined flour.

“Ag Day is the one time of year that all agricultural groups gather at the capitol to celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture,” said CAWG President, Mark Linnebur of Byers, “It is a great opportunity for the farmers and ranchers of the state to remind our legislators how important agriculture is to Colorado’s economy. It is also an opportunity for us to give back to those in need in the state. We are glad to partner with ConAgra Mills to donate this flour milled from Colorado-grown hard white wheat.”

“ConAgra Mills is proud to celebrate Colorado’s National Agricultural Day event by donating Ultragrain® flour to the Food Bank of the Rockies,” said Bill Stoufer, President of ConAgra Mills, “Through this donation, we are honoring a nutritional ingredient that is locally grown and locally milled. Ultragrain® whole wheat flour is made with wheat grown by Colorado farmers and is milled in Commerce City. It is important to us to continue our partnership with the Food Bank of the Rockies and we are proud to provide the Colorado community with a nutritional ingredient in Ultragrain.

“This is part of the long-standing commitment of ConAgra Foods to donate our products, engage our people through volunteerism, and lend our marketing expertise to the issue of child hunger in America, all rooted in the ConAgra Foods Foundations’ 20-year philanthropic investment in the cause.”

Colorado wheat was featured in the Farm-to-Fork Cookoff, which paired state legislators and local chefs to create dishes using Colorado products. Executive Chef Daniel Flanagan of the Sanctuary Golf Course in Sedalia created a savory “Colorado Bread Pudding” for the event. (Recipe follows.) Chef Flanagan was paired with State Representative Randy Fischer, chair of the Colorado House Agriculture Committee, who helped serve the dish.

CWAC and CAWG are two distinctly separate organizations with different, but complimentary purposes. CWAC is the producer-elected Board of Control for the Colorado Wheat Marketing Order whose purpose is to decide how assessment funds are to be spent for research, promotion and education activities. CAWG is a voluntary membership association that lobbies on behalf of wheat growers at the state and national levels of government and provides special programs and benefits to dues paying members.

Download high-resolution photos here: www.coloradowheat.org/pressphotos.

Michelle Linnebur, John Linnebur, James Linnebur, Sophie Linnebur (front), CAWG President Mark Linnebur, holding Samuel Linnebur, all of Byers; CAWG Vice President Randy Traxler of Otis and Chef Daniel Flanagan, Sedalia, at the state capitol for the National Ag Day celebration and Farm-to-Fork Cookoff. CWAC, CAWG, and ConAgra Mills donated Ultragrain® flour valued at $38,304 in honor of National Ag Day.

Michelle Linnebur, John Linnebur, James Linnebur, Sophie Linnebur (front), CAWG President Mark Linnebur, holding Samuel Linnebur, all of Byers; CAWG Vice President Randy Traxler of Otis and Chef Daniel Flanagan, Sedalia, at the state capitol for the National Ag Day celebration and Farm-to-Fork Cookoff. CWAC, CAWG, and ConAgra Mills donated Ultragrain® flour valued at $38,304 in honor of National Ag Day.

 

State Representative Fischer’s Colorado Bread Pudding featuring Colorado Wheat and Eggs, Presented by Chef Danny Flanagan CEC, CCA of Sanctuary Golf Course.

State Representative Fischer’s Colorado Bread Pudding featuring Colorado Wheat and Eggs, Presented by Chef Danny Flanagan CEC, CCA of Sanctuary Golf Course.

State Representative Fischer’s Colorado Bread Pudding featuring Colorado Wheat and Eggs, Presented by Chef Danny Flanagan CEC, CCA of Sanctuary Golf Course

2 tsp. Unsalted Butter

1 lb. Polidori Andouille Sausage

2 tsp. chopped Garlic

½ cup diced Onion

1 cup Diced Granny Smith Apple

6 Colorado Eggs

½ qt. half-and-half

2 ½ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 Large Loaf French or Italian Bread Made with Colorado Wheat

¼ cup chopped Italian Parsley

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

 PROCEDURES

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray.

In a sauté pan over medium heat, add the butter and melt. Add the sausage and cook until almost completely cooked through. While cooking, break into as small of pieces as possible. When almost cooked through, add the garlic, onion and apple. Cook the mixture until the vegetables have softened. Set aside and allow to cool; slightly.

In a large bowl combine the eggs and half-and-half, and mix well with a wire whisk until foamy. Season with salt and pepper, remembering that you are seasoning for the entire dish not just the eggs. Mix in the cheese and parsley. Add the cooled vegetable and sausage mixture and combine all together. Cube the bread into 1-inch cubes and place in pre-greased baking pan. Pour egg mixture over the bread. Mix just enough to make sure all the bread has been combined with egg mixture.  Place dish on the middle rack and cook for 25 to 30 minutes until set. Remove the pan and allow to stand 5 minutes.

For Plating

Slice a square of the bread pudding and garnish with parsley.

 

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