Grandma G’s snacks are a family affair

About four years ago, siblings Joni Birch and Bill Greenwaldt each had a son who would be graduating from high school that spring. To help, their mother, known as “Grandma G,” decided to make an experimental snack for their parties. “She is one of those people who uses what she happens to have, so she mixed together some stuff, melted something on top, put it together and served it,” Birch said. Birch and Greenwaldt, along with sisters Marilyn Snyder and Caryl Stave (who are all Deer Creek High School graduates) decided to call the snack “Funukum,” after a nickname their mother was given when she was a little girl. It is pronounced “fuh-NEW-come.” Does it mean anything? Well, they aren’t sure. “We thought it was Finnish at first… but we’re still trying to figure it out,” Birch said. “At least it doesn’t come up with anything bad (on Google).” Birch and Snyder described Funukum as a hybrid of trail-mix and puppy chow (also called muddy buddies), made with cereal, dried cranberries and peanuts covered with a sweet coating, during an interview last week. “We had a ton of people telling us, ‘This is awesome!’ ‘This is amazing!’ ‘You guys should sell this!’” Birch said, remembering the graduation parties. “And we were like, ‘Yeah, yeah…’” About a year later, Greenwaldt revisited the idea of selling the treat, calling it ‘something to do.’ Not too long after that thought, Funukum made its official debut at the Wadena Christmas Festival.
“It went really, really good there,” Birch said. “We were amazed at the response. That’s what made us think we should really give this a try, because people would take a little (sample) cup and start eating it. They’d get about 5 feet away before they’d turn back around – and that was so much fun for us!” “A lot of people are afraid to say it,” said Birch of the snack’s name, laughing. “It’s been said a lot of different ways. But it’s such an unusual name, and it scares people to say it, so we figure people won’t forget.” After the festival, Birch said, they reached out to another local person in the snack food business for some advice on how to start selling on a larger scale. With this anonymous mentor’s help, they got in touch with a manufacturer to make the bags for their snack. “Honestly, none of us had a clue about anything,” Birch said, adding that Google searches were the main form of research they used. “Not a thing,” Snyder agreed, noting that none of them had experience in the food business. “We just learned.” Funukum is mixed and packaged in the cafeteria of the former Deer Creek school, which is now home to the White Pine and Leaf River Academies. “This last bunch we made, we did 18,000-some bags,” Birch said. “It took us probably a week.” They get 28 family members from four generations involved in the production, and often put in marathon days to finish the work, which is mostly done by hand. Snyder said they work through most of the day and into the night, including the weekend, and that it is a great help when everyone pitches in as needed. “We just keep going and don’t really take breaks,” said Birch. “We mix it all up, and when we get done, we bag it all… and then, we’re ahead. At least we have some now, so we can have a break.” Grandma and Grandpa G (who are 81 and 77, respectively) are in charge of bringing bags of Funukum to area retailers, asking them to carry their product. “They do it because we all work full-time,” Snyder said. “And they wanted something to do,” added Birch. “Dad would say, ‘What, do you just want me to sit here?’” “They are really just enjoying the heck out of it,” said Birch of their parents’ side of the job. “They love going around and talking to people. It’s been really good for them that way.” With Grandma and Grandpa G spreading the word about Funukum (with samples in tow, of course), their product has found space in about 60 local stores. The family also works with two distributors, Mason Brothers Wholesale Grocers of Wadena and Bischof Distributing of Bismarck, N.D., to make Funukum available to more than 300 stores in Minnesota and North Dakota. Snyder said the family would like to expand Funukum’s offerings. “We have other ideas,” Birch said. “So, if this keeps working out for us… then we’ll probably start the next one.” Are there any hints as to what “the next one” might be? “We want to keep it a surprise,” they said. To learn more about Grandma G’s, visit www.grandma-gs.com or like them on Facebook.About four years ago, siblings Joni Birch and Bill Greenwaldt each had a son who would be graduating from high school that spring. To help, their mother, known as “Grandma G,” decided to make an experimental snack for their parties.“She is one of those people who uses what she happens to have, so she mixed together some stuff, melted something on top, put it together and served it,” Birch said.Birch and Greenwaldt, along with sisters Marilyn Snyder and Caryl Stave (who are all Deer Creek High School graduates) decided to call the snack “Funukum,” after a nickname their mother was given when she was a little girl.It is pronounced “fuh-NEW-come.”Does it mean anything? Well, they aren’t sure.“We thought it was Finnish at first… but we’re still trying to figure it out,” Birch said. “At least it doesn’t come up with anything bad (on Google).”Birch and Snyder described Funukum as a hybrid of trail-mix and puppy chow (also called muddy buddies), made with cereal, dried cranberries and peanuts covered with a sweet coating, during an interview last week.“We had a ton of people telling us, ‘This is awesome!’ ‘This is amazing!’ ‘You guys should sell this!’” Birch said, remembering the graduation parties. “And we were like, ‘Yeah, yeah…’”About a year later, Greenwaldt revisited the idea of selling the treat, calling it ‘something to do.’Not too long after that thought, Funukum made its official debut at the Wadena Christmas Festival.
“It went really, really good there,” Birch said. “We were amazed at the response. That’s what made us think we should really give this a try, because people would take a little (sample) cup and start eating it. They’d get about 5 feet away before they’d turn back around – and that was so much fun for us!”“A lot of people are afraid to say it,” said Birch of the snack’s name, laughing. “It’s been said a lot of different ways. But it’s such an unusual name, and it scares people to say it, so we figure people won’t forget.”After the festival, Birch said, they reached out to another local person in the snack food business for some advice on how to start selling on a larger scale. With this anonymous mentor’s help, they got in touch with a manufacturer to make the bags for their snack.“Honestly, none of us had a clue about anything,” Birch said, adding that Google searches were the main form of research they used.“Not a thing,” Snyder agreed, noting that none of them had experience in the food business. “We just learned.”Funukum is mixed and packaged in the cafeteria of the former Deer Creek school, which is now home to the White Pine and Leaf River Academies.“This last bunch we made, we did 18,000-some bags,” Birch said. “It took us probably a week.”They get 28 family members from four generations involved in the production, and often put in marathon days to finish the work, which is mostly done by hand.Snyder said they work through most of the day and into the night, including the weekend, and that it is a great help when everyone pitches in as needed.“We just keep going and don’t really take breaks,” said Birch. “We mix it all up, and when we get done, we bag it all… and then, we’re ahead. At least we have some now, so we can have a break.”Grandma and Grandpa G (who are 81 and 77, respectively) are in charge of bringing bags of Funukum to area retailers, asking them to carry their product.“They do it because we all work full-time,” Snyder said.“And they wanted something to do,” added Birch. “Dad would say, ‘What, do you just want me to sit here?’”“They are really just enjoying the heck out of it,” said Birch of their parents’ side of the job. “They love going around and talking to people. It’s been really good for them that way.”With Grandma and Grandpa G spreading the word about Funukum (with samples in tow, of course), their product has found space in about 60 local stores.The family also works with two distributors, Mason Brothers Wholesale Grocers of Wadena and Bischof Distributing of Bismarck, N.D., to make Funukum available to more than 300 stores in Minnesota and North Dakota.Snyder said the family would like to expand Funukum’s offerings.“We have other ideas,” Birch said. “So, if this keeps working out for us… then we’ll probably start the next one.”Are there any hints as to what “the next one” might be?“We want to keep it a surprise,” they said.To learn more about Grandma G’s, visit www.grandma-gs.com or like them on Facebook.