What if the end of the food supply chain, was the beginning of a new food revolution?
Episode 02 Summary
Welcome to our second interview in the Too Good to Waste series. This episode features Sue Marshall, founder and CEO of NETZRO, SBC (Specific Benefit Corporation). Sue shares some great insights into how and why she started her company. She talks about how they are implementing new processes that will feed more people better food with less waste, create significant economic opportunities, and assist Mother Nature in healing the abuse that our soils and crops have endured for far too long. You will learn about exciting new food products and ingredients that are being made through the process of upcycling, and what we as consumers can do to assist in the efforts and be a part of the solution.
NETZRO Brewer's Spent Grain Project
It’s time-consuming and challenging for sustainably-minded brewers and distillers to transport their spent grain back to farmers for animal feed. And many produce more than the farmers can use. NETZRO saw this problem as an opportunity — to rescue and restore this grain.
NETZRO and Tattersall Distilling Upcycled grain Chef's Competition.
Six of the Twin Cities' top chefs came together for an upcycled grain culinary competition and specialty cocktails at The Clover Club at Tattersall Distilling on March 1, 2020 with upcycled grain from Tattersall and NETZRO, SBC. Each chef prepared a specially created menu item with upcycled rye or corn from the distilling process.
The following chefs and restaurants generously participated in this competition and are all committed to doing their part to support the local food economy and embrace upcycling and reducing food waste. During this incredibly difficult time of the COVID19 crisis, many of these restaurants are still providing their great food for take out.
We encourage you all to help support them.
Ann Ahmed | Lat14 Asian Eatery Jose Alarcon | Popol Vuh Steven Brown | Tilia Mpls and St. Genevieve Mike DeCamp | Borough Carrie McCabe-Johnston | Nightingale Chris Uhrich | Mucci's Italian
Notable Quotes
I was intrigued by the sheer volumes of food waste coming out of manufacturing [facilities] that literally was going right to the land, either land applied or in landfills, and it was disturbing.
We got rid of the word waste at our company. It's a bad word in our team, because it's all valuable. It's just a matter of finding a place for it.
We are going to make a difference for the next generation. We are going to make the difference for farmers and for mother nature and our soil health. It's not going to be easy, but we're not giving up.
Now is the time to really get your whole family involved in food and cooking and baking. COVID19 will pass. So while we're in this situation, let's just have some fun baking at home.
About our Guest
Sue Marshall - Founder & CEO of NETZRO.
A Minnesota native, Sue got her entrepreneurial start in the real estate industry. Here she focused on real estate models that are both environmentally responsible and economically sustainable. With this passion in mind, she enrolled at the University of St. Thomas to pursue a master's degree, aiming to start a new business. During her time at school, Sue discovered how technology could be used to reduce food waste. Noticing the gap in the market for this type of socially responsible initiative, she founded NETZRO to solve this problem. Sue is driven to make a positive impact on the environment for current and future generations. Sue is a founding board member of the Upcycled Food Association.
About NETZRO
NETZRO is an upcycled ingredient company, creating a new environmental and economic standard for reducing global food waste.
Over the past five years, NETZRO has built an ecosystem of farmers, producers, distributors, retailers, restaurants, consumers and regulators, pioneering a circular food economy.
Working with large and small-scale businesses across the country, NETZRO uses proprietary technology to reharvest food byproducts into nutritious, versatile ingredients that are good for the planet, farms, consumers, and animals.
NETZRO is a woman-owned Specified Benefit Corporation based in Minnesota.
Mentioned in the Episode
Here are links to companies and organizations that were mentioned, we invite you to visit them.
Bonus Videos
Learn more about an innovative, safe and efficient method of water recovery that has incredible potential for creating natural sanitizers and detergents.
Thanks to our Sponsors and Production Team:
NETZRO, SBC - www.netzro.us
Upcycled Food Association - www.upcycledfood.org
Produced by Hi-Fly'n Productions www.hiflyn.com
Executive Producer | Host: Kevin May
Associate Producer: Amy Gilbert
Creative Development: Sue Marshall