What began more than a century ago as a small family farm on the quiet plains of Denhoff, North Dakota, Premium Gold—renowned for its distinctive golden flax—is now poised for a significant transformation in 2025. The company, helmed by new CEO Mike Marshall, is venturing beyond its flax roots, establishing a partnership with Minneapolis-based Terra Ingredients to add a new golden grain to its product line. Their shared mission: to introduce fonio, an ancient, naturally gluten-free West African grain, to a broader American audience of health-conscious consumers.
Rather than a tale of sudden disruption or headline-grabbing innovation, this partnership represents a deliberate and thoughtful collaboration between two farmer-focused companies, each rooted in sustainable and regenerative agriculture, uniting to advance the future of food. With a commitment to transparency, the highest quality foods, and ethical sourcing, Premium Gold and Terra Ingredients are embarking on a collaborative journey to bring a truly novel offering to the American market—one tiny grain, one small step at a time.
From Dakota Fields to Your Pantry: The Premium Gold Story
Premium Gold’s journey starts in the heart of North Dakota farm country. The company began as a family farm founded in 1906 and, over the decades, developed a unique expertise in growing and milling golden flax. In the 1990s, under the leadership of Randy Miller, the farm established Premium Gold Flax Products Processing, Inc., and gained recognition for its commitment to product quality and simple, wholesome ingredients. Their innovative approach to cold-milled flax helped build a loyal following among customers seeking trustworthy, nutritious foods.
When Randy and the Miller family decided to transition the business to new owners to focus primarily on their farms, Mike Marshall—an agriculture entrepreneur with a passion for regenerative and gluten-free foods—stepped in. “What impressed me was the chance to deliver a story about stewardship, sustainability, and regenerative farming directly to the consumer,” Marshall explains. “That matched the vision I’d built my career on.” By focusing on a rotation of crops, minimal processing, and clean supply chains, Marshall is now continuing the tradition of ensuring every crop is valuable for the farm, the soil, and the food itself.
Shared Values: Connecting with Terra Ingredients
Marshall’s relationship with Terra Ingredients’ Director, Peter Carlson, has roots in years of mutual respect and collaboration within the grain industry. “Even when we were competitors, I always respected Peter for being a straight shooter,” Marshall says. “You always knew where you stood with him, and although we were on opposite sides, we weren’t at each other’s throats, which is rare in the highly competitive commodity trading world.”
Over time, after multiple run-ins at the annual Natural Products Expo West event in Anaheim, California, it became clear that both Premium Gold and Terra Ingredients value more than just the end product. “Terra understands what it takes to build a true farm program, and our teams align really well. This is more than a buy-sell relationship—it’s a real partnership, with support on everything from supply to packaging,” says Marshall.
Fonio: An Opportunity for Collaboration
Fonio, while still unfamiliar to many in the U.S., has been cherished in West Africa for generations for its nutritional value, versatility, and natural gluten-free properties. When Marshall learned about Terra’s investments in sourcing and supporting fonio growers in Senegal and Guinea, the partnership made perfect sense.
“The story, the nutrition profile, the functionality—it just checked a lot of boxes for us,” Marshall shares. “I don’t think fonio is going to blow up overnight, but there’s real potential for it to grow steadily with the right education and support.” Adding fonio to Premium Gold’slineup is a natural extension of the brand’s commitment to minimally processed, high-quality foods like golden flax.
Marshall continues, “Partnering with Terra Ingredients lets us uphold the rigorous standards we’ve established, while leveraging their expertise in sourcing new crops. Together, we’re building a supply chain defined by integrity and transparency, from planting to packaging. We’ve told this story with flax, and now we can do the same with fonio.” Keeping the product line centered on golden grains also strengthens the brand’s identity. “Everything we do is gold and gluten-free, and fonio fits right in,” he adds.
Education, Trust, and Lasting Impact
Marshall’s approach to product development has always been rooted in trust and transparency—values that set Premium Gold apart and now shape its partnership with Terra Ingredients. “If you don’t do things the right way, it’s not just people who get sick—the land and local economies suffer too. Cutting corners might help big companies, but it doesn’t help those who actually need nourishing food. That’s what drives my passion for doing things the right way,” he says.
Marshall’s philosophy was shaped early in his career, working with Japanese buyers who demanded “intense field reports” and full transparency about every farmer, field, and practice. “What stood out was their insistence on continual improvement, both in the product and in our margins, even before food safety certifications existed,” Marshall recalls. These standards eventually became the backbone of Premium Gold’s gluten-free Purity Protocol, now reflected in the Terra partnership as well.
For Marshall, the work is personal—having seen his aunt struggle with celiac disease, he knows how critical trustworthy food is for those with dietary restrictions. “Sometimes, when you’re immersed in the work, it doesn’t feel glamorous. But we’re making a difference for people on the farm and for those who need food they can trust. That’s enough for me.” Fonio’s gluten-free status offers one more avenue of nourishment and versatility for people with restricted diets, while also offering critical economic support for underserved and largely forgotten farm communities across West Africa–whom also consume the nutritious grain.
As Premium Gold’s fonio debuts later this year, Marshall sees education as the key to growth: “Once we can educate the public, fonio really checks all the boxes for value, health, and nutrition. There’s an unlimited runway to build the market and create something new once people understand it.”
Why This Partnership Matters
The collaboration between Premium Gold and Terra Ingredients is rooted in aligned philosophies—soil health, ethical sourcing, and making healthy food more accessible. Terra’s Fairtrade and ethical supply chain in West Africa means fonio benefits the communities who grow it, while offering U.S. consumers something genuinely new and nutritious.
For Premium Gold, this partnership represents more than just launching a new product; it’s an opportunity to explore new crops that align with their focus on minimal processing, transparency, and clean ingredients. Working with Terra allows Premium Gold to expand its reach and connect with customers who care about where their food comes from and how it’s grown.
Through this collaboration, both companies can share their expertise—Premium Gold’s experience in farm-to-table food production and Terra’s knowledge of global supply chains and West African agriculture. Together, they’re able to support responsible farming practices overseas, ensure fair compensation for growers, and uphold high standards from seed to shelf.
Looking Ahead: Incremental Growth
Premium Gold is working towards an online launch of fonio in the fall of 2025, with in-store availability planned for next year. Marshall’s approach is measured: “We have to take baby steps, because we can’t just go national with a supermarket chain tomorrow. We aim to raise awareness, introduce fonio to our existing customers and new ones, and educate consumers to the best of our ability.”
Ultimately, the partnership between Premium Gold and Terra Ingredients is a step forward for both brands—a way to share what they value most with a broader audience and bring healthy, minimally processed flax and fonio products to more people.
“If everybody wins, everybody wins. That’s really what we’re after,” says Marshall. “If we can build a little more trust in food, help introduce something new and healthy, and make a positive impact along the way, I think we’re doing our jobs.”
Stay tuned for more as Premium Gold fonio makes its debut later this year.
