Last updated on May 11th, 2017 at 01:00 pm
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Southwest
The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (UMUT), one of three federally recognized tribes of the Ute Nation, resides in Towaoc, Colorado, on a reservation that covers more than a half-million acres and touches the Four Corners area—Arizona, New Mexico and Utah as well as Colorado.
Surrounded by huge rock mesa formations and home to wild mustangs, the UMUT Farm & Ranch Enterprise itself covers more than 7,500 acres. The tribe has built and operates four businesses there under the Tribal Enterprise Zone. The Bow & Arrow Foods division is one of those businesses.
The UMUT Farm & Ranch Enterprise in the past grew mostly alfalfa and some wheat along with raising cattle (Bow & Arrow was the official cattle brand). Corn grown on the farm is non-GMO and has been sold for foodservice and industrial use—to tortilla or masa manufacturers, for example—and for feed corn to dairies and chicken and egg producers.
In early 2014, Bow & Arrow unveiled a state-of-the-art $4 million mill. The grand opening was quite the event for the area, drawing even Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper to the dedication ceremony.
The mill opened expansive possibilities for the Bow & Arrow brand, as it branched out into consumer packaged goods. In March 2015, the tribe launched a national rollout of non-GMO cornmeals—Yellow, Blue, White and Indian Blend—in 24-oz. resealable bags. Bow & Arrow Cornmeal is available in more than 1,700 natural and grocery stores across the U.S.
April Hostetler, whose background includes a milling science degree from Kansas State University, is thrilled to be head miller/acting mill manager at the new facility.
“This mill is just gorgeous—and it runs extremely efficiently,” Hostetler said. “We can do whole corn, clean corn and then we have the cornmeal products. It has a somewhat smaller operational footprint, but is efficient in what it does, and can scale easily for future expansion and growth with branded or private label products.”
Product availability ranges from a truckload of pallets/totes to 25- and 50-pound sturdy bags.
“We’re able to do a lot of new-age innovation,” said Ken Vickerstaff, VP of sales and marketing. “We’re introducing polenta and whole-grain grits called True Whole Grits, with more ideas and options to fit today’s eclectic culinary needs to bring growth back to the baking category that has long needed innovation.”
The expected ship date for those products is July 1.
Award-winning despite obstacles
Eric White has been with the Ute Mountain Farm & Ranch enterprise for 26 years. He has to be nudged a bit to brag, but corn grown on the farm has won numerous national and state awards.
“Three from the National Corn Growers Association—one second-place, two thirds—and then numerous first-places in the state of Colorado,” Vickerstaff interjects. “Just this past year we finally got back into it after a drought in 2015, and we received another first-place from the state of Colorado for the yield of our corn, which by the way annually harvests north of 450,000 bushels. If you equate the math in pounds, that’s 25.2 million pounds—lots and lots of corn.”
Though never the goal, awards are evidence of the hard work and due diligence that goes into overcoming all the challenges presented by the landscape, Mother Nature and a tribal business new to the consumer packaged goods arena. Maize was grown in the Southwest centuries before other areas in what became the U.S., but it isn’t exactly indigenous to the high desert.
“You’d have to come out and take a look at the farm and see some of the factors that we have to deal with,” White said. “People are truly amazed once they get to see what we all do day to day. We were actually competing and doing things a lot better than some farmers back east, and even in the Midwest—I’d love to invite a Midwest farmer to our operation. They’d be like, ‘how do you guys do this?’
“We do it because of our love of the land and sustaining our culture for the next generation, and also doing our part to support the surrounding area with jobs and careers,” White added.
Room to grow
The enterprise did not set out to compete with Midwest farmers, impress an investment group or become a Fortune 500 company. The tribe strives to be both environmentally and economically sustainable and to continuously improve the quality of its products. Its mission is to provide training, jobs and long-term economic rewards for the tribe.
“We’re trying to create jobs for Native American kids from the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe,” Vickerstaff said. “We’ve had the ability over the years to employ hundreds of tribal members, and some of these kids are amazing. I couldn’t tell you one lot of corn from another, but most of these employees can head out to the fields and know exactly where water has been diverted. It’s truly amazing.”
“Our team is extremely loyal, efficient and, most importantly, committed to providing the very best corn products to all of our customers,” Hostetler said. “They are really hard working. This is definitely the best crew I’ve worked with and can stand toe-to-toe with the largest company—very understanding, very helpful and willing to make it all happen as a team. They’re looking forward to the future. They see the vision, and they’re working toward it.”
King Soopers, City Market and select Safeway shoppers know Bow & Arrow products, as do those who frequent stores serviced by UNFI, KeHE and DPI Specialty Foods. Two divisions of Whole Foods and Lucky’s Markets now carry the brand. Along with the many independents in the natural and conventional retailers, Bow & Arrow Foods products now are estimated to be in 1,700 stores.
Bow & Arrow Foods is still a growing operation, and its prospects are bright as consumers seek out non-GMO ingredients and clean-label foods.
“It’s where the market’s been going, but it’s still a little bit of ‘pioneer days’ in terms of getting our message out to, first, our retailer customers, and then on to the consumers, telling them what our capabilities are,” Vickerstaff said. “The cornmeal category was historically flat to declining. In the advent of non-GMO and organic into this category, that’s now where the growth is occurring. Our strategy is to double our distribution this year, if we all continue to work hard and be seen and approved by our retailers.”
