Grain Place Foods in Nebraska: History, What It Grows, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Grain Place Foods is a third-generation organic farm and grain processor at Marquette, Nebraska, run by the Vetter family. Don Vetter converted the farm to organic in 1953, and the company now cleans, mills and packages grains, popcorn and feed, buying from 128 growers.
| Location | Marquette, Nebraska, along Highway 14 |
|---|---|
| Founded | Don Vetter began organic farming in 1953 |
| Sectors | Organic grains; popcorn; processing and packaged foods; specialty feeds |
| Scale | Farm of 280 acres in 18 fields; 128 growers; nearly 30 employees (2014 report) |
| Why it is notable | Early organic pioneer; processes and sells organic grains nationally under its own label and in bulk |
| Ownership | Vetter family; David Vetter leads and his son Madison has a leadership role (2014 report) |
| Official website | University of Nebraska-Lincoln Buy Fresh Buy Local member spotlight (extension profile, not an operation website) |
History of Grain Place Foods
The University of Nebraska's Buy Fresh Buy Local profile says Don Vetter began organic farming in 1953 after seeing the damage intense tillage and chemical use did to his soil and family. His son David returned in 1975 with degrees in agronomy and theology, and the two built the operation.
The Organic & Non-GMO Report says David built the cleaning and conditioning plant in the early 1980s, financed with a loan at 18.9 percent interest. The processing business grew out of a simple need: cleaning, drying, milling and packaging the farm's own large organic harvests.
What Grain Place Foods Grows and Raises
The 2014 report describes a 280-acre farm in 18 fields with 17 acres of pasture for beef cattle. It grows popcorn, corn, soybeans, heirloom barley, alfalfa and grass legumes. The company processes popcorn, specialty bird and pet feeds, oats, barley, peas, rolled oats and whole grains.
Beyond its own acres, Grain Place Foods works with 128 growers in the U.S., Canada and Central and South America per that report, and the University of Nebraska lists 101 in the Midwest and 46 in Nebraska. Products include organic barley, brown rice, chia, flaxseed, oats, popcorn, rye, spelt and wheat.
How Grain Place Foods Makes Money
Grain processing and packaging
The company cleans, mills and packages organic grains bought from growers and its own farm, adding value to raw crops.
Bulk and retail sales
Whole grains are sold in bulk bins at natural food retailers, and packaged products appear in stores such as Whole Foods Markets, per the 2014 report. Some products are sold online through Buy Nebraska.
Specialty feeds
Bird and pet feeds and organic feed grains give the mill additional customers beyond human food.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Grain Place Foods
The first lesson is that processing creates a market. The Vetters built a plant to handle their own harvest and then used it to serve other organic growers.
The second is to buy from many growers. Sourcing from 128 farms spreads supply risk and supports other organic farmers. The third is to own the brand and the bulk channel, so the farm is not just a price taker for raw grain.
Few farms can claim to have been organic before most people could spell the word, and farm.FM would like to buy the Vetters a very large oatmeal. Organic country is rich in farm satire, such as the customer who wants to know which field the oats came from and the farm humor of explaining that it was Field 14. The best ranch humor and farm jokes in Marquette are still about the 18.9 percent loan.
farm.FM, the nation's first satirical farm site, also runs Tractor Tunes, a country music lineup for farmers. For a sample of the writing, try the archive of one of its staff humorists.
How to Contact Grain Place Foods
Website: https://cms.unl.edu/ianr/extension/food/buy-fresh/news/member-spotlight-grain-place-foods
No official company website, address, phone or email was verified in this research, so the link is the best verified public page about the operation (November 2026). Products are listed through Buy Nebraska. Confirm details through the university directory or the retailer.
Grain Place Foods Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- UNL Buy Fresh: Grain Place Foods spotlight - university extension profile
- Organic & Non-GMO Report: An organic oasis grows in Nebraska - 2014 industry profile
- Buy Nebraska: Grain Place Foods - product listings
- USDA NASS Census of Agriculture - national and county farm statistics, including Nebraska
- USDA Farmers.gov - federal programs for farmers and ranchers
Grain Place Foods FAQ
Where is Grain Place Foods?
At Marquette, Nebraska, along Highway 14.
How long has the family farmed organically?
Don Vetter began organic farming in 1953.
What does it sell?
Organic grains, popcorn, feeds and packaged foods, in bulk and under its own label.
How can I buy its products?
Look for them at natural food retailers or on the Buy Nebraska listing.
Grain Place Foods shows how a Nebraska family built an organic grain business by adding processing, sourcing and a trusted label. See our Nebraska farms guide for organic and specialty markets across the state.