A sow farm, an oilseed processing plant and a protein processing plant are among projects that recently won funding from the North Dakota Agricultural Products Utilization Commission.

APUC administers grant programs for research and development of new and expanded uses for North Dakota agricultural products. The grants can be used for basic and applied research, prototype development, marketing and utilization, farm diversification, and nature-based agritourism.

The following requests were approved:

• Grand Prairie Agriculture, Devils Lake, was awarded $45,460 to support initial project engineering to produce a farrow-to-wean sow farm, focusing on gilt production. The project will impact local farmers with another market for their products and provide another fertilizer source in the area.

• Archer-Daniels-Midland Co., Fargo, was awarded $93,318 to support preliminary engineering costs for a protein production facility to be located in North Dakota.

• Safflower Technologies International, Williston, was awarded $27,775 to complete a study for a specialty non-GMO oilseed processing facility with cold press or expeller press system technology for a range of oilseed processing and refining capabilities.

• Black Leg Ranch, McKenzie, was awarded $25,000 to build an outdoor patio and meeting area. This meeting space will overlook native grasslands and prairie flowers.

APUC is an office within Economic Development and Finance, a division of the North Dakota Department of Commerce.

For additional program information, see ndapuc.com or facebook.com/NDAPUC.

Source: APUC