June 2009, Dakota Prairie Organic Flour Company, located in Harvey, North Dakota, participated in the Food Export-Midwest-sponsored Food Show PLUS!™ tradeshow enhancement services during Natural Products Expo Asia held in Hong Kong. According to Cindy Keller, Gluten Free Sales and Marketing for Dakota Prairie, During the event, Food Export Midwest introduced us to a new distributor in Hong Kong which resulted in an initial sale of one container of product in 2009. So far in 2010, weve sold three more shipments of our bulk organic and gluten free flour and mixes and anticipate the sales to continue every six weeks, totaling approximately $150,000 this year alone. If the gluten free demand continues to grow in the region, these sales could grow significantly.

The company uses funding through the Branded Program to help offset the cost of traveling to overseas tradeshows. If it werent for the financial support we receive through the Branded Program to help with the cost of travel and tradeshow booth fees, we would not be participating in overseas tradeshows and making these export sales, added Keller.

Dakota Prairie Organic Flour Company produces a full line of organic flours, grains, and feed, including custom blends such as low-ash flours milled from grains grown for flavor. Dakota Prairies grains are free from chemicals.

Food Export–Midwest and Food Export–Northeast are private, non-profit associations of Midwestern and Northeastern state agricultural promotion agencies that use federal, state, and industry resources to promote the export of Midwestern and Northeastern food and agricultural products. Food Export–Midwest and Food Export–Northeast administer many services through Market Access Program (MAP) funding from the USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service.