Golden Growers Cooperative, Fargo, was recently awarded $75,000 by the North Dakota Ag products Utilization Commission for costs associated with a valuation study and market assessment for current and potential food ingredients, feed and renewable chemicals that can be produced or utilized from a corn wet mill facility. The study will also estimate the value of a corn wet mill based under various future market conditions. Contact Scott Stofferahn at 701-281-0468 for additional information.

APUC also awarded funding requests for seven other projects including:

Golden Growers To Study Corn Wet Mill Plant Value

Morning Joy Farm, Mercer, was awarded $26,250 for a diversification enhancement to their existing operation. The enhancement would utilize farm products to meet consumer demand for ready-to-eat foods and baked goods by building a commercial kitchen.

Buchholz Machine Shop, Lehr, was awarded $26,250 to transform a milk barn into a machine shop and to purchase a vertical milling machine. This will allow them to produce and promote their own products, which include an ice auger extension piece. Funds will be used for equipment and building materials.

The NDSU Department of Veterinary and Microbiology Sciences, Fargo, was awarded $76,140 to defray costs associated with the purchase of supplies for the development and testing of a program to prevent illness from bacterial infectious from the transmission of bacteria to food processing equipment. Biofilm (communities of bacteria that attach to surfaces and one another) inhibitors will be infused into materials that are relevant in agricultural contexts, which can then be used for food processing equipment to prevent the transmission of pathogens. Funds will also partially support the salaries of the project personnel.

The NDSU Dept. of Animal and Range Sciences, Fargo, was awarded $50,000 to continue studying the role of nutrition in mammary cancer development. The study will investigate the effect of dietary canola oil and lipotropic nutrients in breast cancer development and growth. Over the years their research has shown the anticancer effect of lipocan nutrients. This innovative concept is aimed at the development of an anticancer nutraceutical product.

Crocus View Farms, Rock Lake, was awarded $5,407 to expand services and products by reaching out to provide educational and informative rural development programs to community groups. Services include the selling of baked goods, produce from garden, eggs, pumpkins, fall pumpkin patch picking, corn maze, hands-on animal experiences, bale climbing and many other rural environmental activities.

Red River Regional Council, Grafton, was awarded $28,361 to conduct a feasibility study that will calculate a cost benefit analysis of the Power Plant at the Life Skills and Transition Center.  Ongoing development of the Power Plant will provide electricity, thermal output, and carbon dioxide sequestration to power, heat, and enhance plant growth for future greenhouses and crop production.

Amberland Foods Inc., Harvey, was awarded $23,515 to make improvements to their products and create safer working conditions for employees. Providing nutritional information for their products will increase potential business opportunities by allowing them to approach health conscious customers, distributors, chains and specialty stores that require this type of labeling.

APUC is a committee of the North Dakota Department of Commerce that administers grant programs for researching and developing new and expanded uses for North Dakota agricultural products. The grants can be used for basic and applied research, marketing and utilization, farm diversification, nature based agri-tourism, prototype and technology, and technical assistance.

Source: APUC