In January, Minnesota Valley Alfalfa Producers signed a purchase agreement with
Northern States Power for 75 megawatts of electricity. That's enough to power a city
the size of St. Cloud for one year. The electricity will be produced by gasifying alfalfa
stems. Under a legislative mandate, NSP must produce or contract for 125 megawatts of
biomass-fueled electricity by 2002. MnVAP, which is comprised of more than 300 grower
members, plans to construct the plant near Granite Falls.
Natural Biologics moved to a new 30,000 square foot processing facility in
Albert Lea in February. The company, which manufactures conjugated estrogen from horse
urine, outgrew space at the Hormel Institute in Austin. Natural Biologics has 15 full-time
and two part-time employees, and utilizes horse urine from 10 farmers around the region.
Nature's Fire products are now approved for sale in Wal-Mart stores across the
United States. The brand's fire starters and cooking fires, made from waste hardwoods
and ag byproducts, are already available in over 1,900 K-mart stores nationwide and
marketed in 25 countries. Nature's Fire, Inc. employs up to 20 people in Ellsworth, Minn.
Pet Care Systems, a Detroit Lakes company making cat litter from wheat,
recently added two new brands to its line. "Wheat 'n Easy" is being carried
by 700 animal clinics around the country and "City Litter" is now available at
Fairway Foods and Super Valus in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The company's
original cat litter, Swheat Scoop, is sold in more than 3,000 pet stores nationwide,
including Pet Supplies Plus, Pet Valu, and Pets Mart. All three brands of the natural,
flushable, scoopable litters are made from wheat and milo.
