Courtesy of Tom Smude
The Smude family posing together in a field of sunflowers.
If you’ve driven past the picturesque sunflower fields near Pierz, Minnesota, you might have wondered: Where do all these seeds go?
It so happens it’s much farther than you think.
If they’re grown by the Smude family, they’re turned into the well-loved Smude cold-pressed sunflower oil, sold online and in stores around the state and beyond.
Those familiar with the honey-gold bottle or the Smude name may be surprised to learn that selling and bottling sunflower oil isn’t their main line of business. The Smude family has been raising cattle for generations—Tom Smude was gifted three of his own cattle for his 18th birthday, and for him, it raised several important questions: How do I care for the cattle, the land, and the consumers? and how do I get this meat to plates?
These questions have guided him since, as he married his wife Jenni, and they grew their business together. Their children Katelyn and Mitchell are part of the team now too, and various other relatives have jumped in over the years as this creative and entrepreneurial family has pivoted (and pivoted again!) to sustainably raise and deliver Black Angus beef to grateful eaters.
A Place in the Sun
Mama cow and baby cow on Pierz family land
By 2005, the Smudes were running a 300-head operation and as it turns out, cattle must be fed. A drought in 2007 to 2008 drove feed transportation prices perilously high and Tom and Jenni decided they needed a new plan—to grow their own drought-resistant source of protein.
Enter the sunflowers.
They started out studying a Wisconsin dairy farm that was growing and upcycling sunflowers into their operation and decided this was a model that could work for them. Upcycling, a process that reuses discarded materials to create a new, high-quality product while also reducing waste, is key to a more sustainable future. From fashion to home goods to farming, industries that create consumer goods are revamping their production processes to reduce waste while creating something new and beneficial.
Beef farmers and ranchers across the U.S. have had waste reduction on the brain for decades. By leveraging cattle’s upcycling superpower, they not only create high-quality protein out of human-inedible plants, but they also prevent food byproducts from ending up in landfills.
“I, of course, had no idea that those first three cows would lead to this life and these businesses, or that my future children would enjoy working and growing our business along with us. I’m just really glad I’ve been able to do all of this with my family. And to get this meat to plates!” Tom Smude, Smude Enterprises LLC
So how do sunflowers fit into this? When it comes to upcycling, cattle are masters. They use their unique stomachs to consume grass and plants that humans can’t eat. When the Smude family presses their sunflower seeds to make oil, a fibrous yet high-in-protein material is left over. Humans would not be able to digest this product well, but cattle can.
For Tom and Jenni, it became clear that growing their own nutritious source of feed was the key to building a stable and sustainable cattle operation. The sunflowers would provide feed for the cattle—who convert the leftover plant matter into high-quality beef—and the oil would be sold.
And so, in 2009, Tom and Jenni pivoted to sunflower farming and built their own crush plant for processing.
On the Market
Tagged cows in a stable
Thirty years out from those first three birthday cattle, the Smudes sell beef as Smude’s Angus Farms. The beef is raised on their sunflower meal in addition to corn and alfalfa. They sell the oil as Smude's Sunflower Oil, bottled on its own but also incorporated into microwave popcorn. The oil is also used in locally-made soap, lotion, and chapstick, available on their website and in stores.
Their beef business now includes selling directly to consumers and restaurants. It turns out that sunflower protein creates particularly delicious, well-marbled beef with a taste that chefs, butchers, and consumers prize. Which is why that deliciousness is showing up in a new line of beef products, including sausage and beef sticks.
The Smudes’ sustainability story is not only about making the most of natural resources, it’s also about supporting the community. The family collaborates with Sprout of Little Falls to provide ground beef for an innovative school-lunch grant program. Sprout is a non-profit organization whose mission is to connect and strengthen the local food system and food security in Central Minnesota. This grant is specifically designed to connect small family farms with food service directors and culinary experts, to put locally grown, nutritious foods onto the plates of school-aged children.
“I, of course, had no idea that those first three cows would lead to this life and these businesses, or that my future children would enjoy working and growing our business along with us,” Tom says, reflecting on the twists and turns his business has followed through the decades. “I’m just really glad I’ve been able to do all of this with my family. And to get this meat to plates!” All while they invest in the land, their cattle, and the surrounding community.
