gas , diesel , and bulk propane needs at the Bongards , MN plant .
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
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Staff Writer
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Staff Writer
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Bongards is a valued patron and shares a long-standing business relationship with Mid-County .
Mid-County supplies all the gas , diesel , and bulk propane needs at the Bongards , MN plant .
The unincorporated community of Bongards , MN , is located on Highway 212 about halfway between Cologne and Norwood Young America . When the town creamery was destroyed by fire in 1908 , a group of local farmers formed the Bongards cooperative and pooled their resources to build another creamery .
Bongards has been processing dairy products for well over a century now , and they ’ ve grown exponentially since that humble beginning .
It is still a farmer-owned co-op with 361 members in Minnesota . Their farms are located from Detroit Lakes in the north down to Rochester in the south . One farmer in North Dakota is on the co-op ’ s membership roll .
Bongards has become a significant player in the cheese industry domestically and internationally . They employ 575 people companywide who run two manufacturing plants in Minnesota ( Bongards and Perham ) and one in Humboldt , Tennessee .
They also have a retail store in Perham a and one in Bongards ,
life permanent mascot Bonnie landmark the cow for , local a permanent the retailcow buyers landmark , is who a perma- come for lo‐ to
is where their larger-than-life a permanent mascot landmark for Bonnie locallocal retail a dairy century buyers over retail products awho now buyers century for , come well and towho now purchase cal, retail come andbuyers Bongard to who purchase ’ s come cheese to
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’ s , cheese and exponentially products purchase Korea . Bongard products ’ s. cheese they products ’ ve grown . sinceexponentially that beginning humble . beginning products Their. output . includes some
Their output includes sinceTheir that humble output some includes beginning whey products some . Their , but output they includes are mostly known for their premium cheeses that come in flavors catering
some
to just about any taste . The cheeses are offered sliced , shredded , in loaves large or small , and in bulk for corporate clients .
The co-op ’ s products are available through retail outlets like convenience stores , supermarkets , and delicatessens . Other marketing channels include sales to K-12 school meal programs , food service companies , and for use as ingredients in food products made by other companies .
Bongards reaches consumers in locations across the United States and far-flung countries around the
PHOTO COURTESY OF BONGARDS PHOTO COURTESY OF BONGARDS world , such as Mexico Cheese being , prepared for slicing at the Bongards plant Cheese being
PHOTO COURTESY prepared
OF BONGARDS for slicing at the Bongards plant .
Australia , and Korea .
Looking for a local propane supplier ?
PHOTO COURTESY OF B
Cheese being prepared for slicing at the Bongards pla
Cheese being prepared for slicing at the Bongards plant .
Bonnie the cow standing g
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Mid-County Energy is the leading local supplier of propane for home heating , agricultural use and commercial use . We offer customers the ability to purchase their propane in a variety of ways :
Budget program • Scheduled delivery • Contract programs • Pay as you need
Contact Mid-County today for all your propane and fuel needs . ( 952 ) 466-3720 • www . midcountycoop . com Page 4 www . midcountycoop . com