Sno Pac Foods
Sno Pac Foods, a family owned and operated organic farm and processing plant, began around 1900. J.P. Gengler started a lumber business. In addition to the lumber business, ice was harvested off a nearby spring fed pond, stored in huge ice houses and shipped to the South by rail during the summer. When mechanical refrigeration became available, Leonard Gengler built a locker plant where townspeople and local farmers could rent freezer space to store their food. Leonard also purchased a farm and started raising strawberries, gooseberries, and vegetables which he processed and froze at his plant. Leonard always farmed organically, using natural products to sustain his land, compost, lime, and green sand along with good rotation and soil conservation practices. Demand grew for his fruits and vegetables. He supplied these regionally to consumers in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. Before eating healthy became popular, people bought Sno Pac vegetables because they tasted great. People still come directly to our plant to pick up their annual supply of vegetables. Many of these are third or fourth generation Sno Pac customers. Ramon Gengler continued the organic vegetable operation expanding the product line, the market, and now passes the operation onto the fourth generation. Today, our family continues to bring our organic vegetables to your family in the same tradition.