DENVER, COLORADO, U.S. — The Annex by Ardent Mills (The Annex) has formed a new partnership with Colorado Quinoa, LLC to clean, mill and market quinoa grown in Colorado's San Luis Valley. Through the relationship, commercial customers will receive U.S.-grown quinoa as well as stable pricing, scalable supply, sustainability and traceability back to local farms, all backed by the resources and support of Ardent Mills.

“We are excited to collaborate with Colorado Quinoa as part of our commitment to ancient and heirloom grains, plant-based ingredients and value-added products,” said Shrene White, general manager, The Annex. “By being the exclusive supplier of Colorado Quinoa, we are furthering our commitment to family farms, the future of food and making The Annex the go-to source for domestically grown quinoa for our customers.”

According to a recent study conducted by The Annex, quinoa ranked among the top 10 ingredients in terms of driving health perception and purchase intent.

“Quinoa grown in Colorado’s San Luis Valley has an amazing sustainability story,” White said. “Growers in the valley are seeking ways to increase water levels in the Rio Grande Aquifer, which provides 240 million gallons of water per day for public use. Quinoa has very low water requirements, so it gives regional growers a profitable crop rotation option that promotes water conservation, soil biodiversity and sustainability.”

Colorado Quinoa is the latest addition to The Annex’s portfolio of innovative grains and is available in white and multicolor varieties.

“We chose to work with The Annex because they have the skills and capabilities required to make Colorado Quinoa a nationally and internationally viable quinoa variety,” said Paul New of Colorado Quinoa. “Additionally, working with The Annex and Ardent Mills means we are supported by a trusted international supplier with expertise in processing, R&D, culinary, food safety, sustainability and marketing expertise.”

The Annex is a business unit of Ardent Mills that is furthering the future of specialty grains and plant-based ingredients. It is supported by a team committed to exploring what’s next in whole grains, pulses, mixes, custom multigrain blends and finished bread. Its portfolio includes ancient and heirloom grains, organic grains and flours, sprouted wheat, and chickpeas as well as innovations such as Sustagrain High-Fiber Barley and White Sonora, an heirloom wheat.