Risser's Grain Roasting - Roasted Soybeans with the Roast-A-Matic

It all started when Jim Risser fed soybeans to his cows. A friend’s encouragement opened the doors to a new career for Jim Risser. The friend, Dale Schnupp of Pennsylvania, urged him to buy a grain roasting machine so he could roast soybeans to feed his dairy herd. Weeks later, Risser found a grain roasting machine at an auction. He purchased it, taught himself how to use it and started roasting soybeans for his dairy cows. Soon, neighbors started asking him to roast their soybeans, and Risser’s Grain Roasting was born. That was in 1982.	Jim and Linda Risser of St. Charles, Minn., Stand next to their “Roast-a-matic” grain roaster. Jim takes the roaster throughout the tri-state area to roast grain at farms.
Seven years later, in 1989, Risser bought a second roaster and went on the road. He also added a roller mill to flake grain. By 1999, the business was taking too much of his time to maintain the dairy. He sold the cows, rented out his land and went into the roasting business full time. He bought a larger roaster. “I wanted something bigger, so I got the biggest one made at that time”. It can roast 12 tons per hour. Two years later, he’s in the middle of another expansion. Risser constructed a grain leg and overhead bins next to the towering Havestore Silo that’s converted for storage and is capable of holding 18,000 bushels of soybeans. “Each overhead bin can be filled with a different feed,” Risser said. Risser enjoys the roasting business because it allows him to munch on the freshly roasted soybeans and visit with farmers while he works. The soybeans look flame-kissed when they come out of Risser’s roaster. Other roasters use hot air, but Risser prefers the flame method, in which grain rotates in a metal drum as flames shoot through. Corn and soybeans look like little pancakes when they come out of the roller mill. Risser rolls the grain as it comes out of the roaster, if customers desire. About half just want the grain roasted, others only want it flaked and others want both done. “Roasted soybeans are a good source of energy because the oil is not taken out of the soybeans, as in soybean meal, but is sealed inside, Risser said. “That’s what dairy producers are after in a roasted bean—bypass proteins,” he said. Roasted soybeans can be exchanged pound for pound with soybean meal, in most cases. Risser’s customers are primarily dairy farmers in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin, but he also services some pork producers and chicken growers. He also has organic farmers that use his services. Risser says his peak demand is in the fall when the crops come out of the field. He can roast an entire bin full of grain in just a few hours. Other farmers roast when they need it in smaller quantity. His wife, Linda, does the bookkeeping, advertising, helps develop business plans, and encourages him when needed. Risser’s roaster is completely portable including the gas to run the roaster. Check out the benefits of roasting grain to find out why grain roasting is such a value to the farmers.

It all started when Jim Risser fed soybeans to his cows.

A friend’s encouragement opened the doors to a new career for Jim Risser. The friend, Dale Schnupp of Pennsylvania, urged him to buy a grain roasting machine so he could roast soybeans to feed his dairy herd. Weeks later, Risser found a grain roasting machine at an auction. He purchased it, taught himself how to use it and started roasting soybeans for his dairy cows. Soon, neighbors started asking him to roast their soybeans, and Risser’s Grain Roasting was born. That was in 1982.

Risser's Grain Roasting

Jim and Linda Risser of St. Charles, Minn., Stand next to their “Roast-a-matic” grain roaster. Jim takes the roaster throughout the tri-state area to roast grain at farms.

Seven years later, in 1989, Risser bought a second roaster and went on the road. He also added a roller mill to flake grain. By 1999, the business was taking too much of his time to maintain the dairy. He sold the cows, rented out his land and went into the roasting business full time. He bought a larger roaster. “I wanted something bigger, so I got the biggest one made at that time”. It can roast 12 tons per hour.

Two years later, he’s in the middle of another expansion. Risser constructed a grain leg and overhead bins next to the towering Havestore Silo that’s converted for storage and is capable of holding 18,000 bushels of soybeans. “Each overhead bin can be filled with a different feed,” Risser said.

Risser enjoys the roasting business because it allows him to munch on the freshly roasted soybeans and visit with farmers while he works. The soybeans look flame-kissed when they come out of Risser’s roaster. Other roasters use hot air, but Risser prefers the flame method, in which grain rotates in a metal drum as flames shoot through. Corn and soybeans look like little pancakes when they come out of the roller mill. Risser rolls the grain as it comes out of the roaster, if customers desire. About half just want the grain roasted, others only want it flaked and others want both done.

“Roasted soybeans are a good source of energy because the oil is not taken out of the soybeans, as in soybean meal, but is sealed inside, Risser said. “That’s what dairy producers are after in a roasted bean—bypass proteins,” he said. Roasted soybeans can be exchanged pound for pound with soybean meal, in most cases.

Risser’s customers are primarily dairy farmers in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin, but he also services some pork producers and chicken growers. He also has organic farmers that use his services. Risser says his peak demand is in the fall when the crops come out of the field. He can roast an entire bin full of grain in just a few hours. Other farmers roast when they need it in smaller quantity.

His wife, Linda, does the bookkeeping, advertising, helps develop business plans, and encourages him when needed.

Risser’s roaster is completely portable including the gas to run the roaster. Check out the benefits of roasting grain to find out why grain roasting is such a value to the farmers.