February 2013

AURI and Minnesota pellet plant work together to retain jobs

Listen to radio segment about this story By Jonathan Eisenthal For 41 years Rivard’s Quality Seeds had been one of a handful of businesses keeping the economy going in the small northwestern Minnesota city of Argyle, population 660. Finding ways to add value to agricultural products and coproducts from agricultural processing is the region’s lifeblood. Rivard’s specializes in pelleting, making loose materials dense enough to transport economically. Over the years,… Continue Reading AURI and Minnesota pellet plant work together to retain jobs

AURI’s 2012 Annual Report: Agricultural Innovation from Idea to Reality

AURI’s 2012 Annual Report: Agricultural Innovation from Idea to Reality includes a recap of the impact our work has had for the state of Minnesota and project highlights from the state’s 2012 fiscal year. View AURI’s 2012 Annual Report

Demand for organic meal helps country elevator thrive

By Liz Morrison Clearbrook, Minn. — Times are tough for small country elevators. Big grain price swings, higher capital requirements and consolidation have eroded profits, forcing many rural elevators to close. But a struggling coop elevator in northwest Minnesota met these challenges by responding to a need for organic feed. With help from AURI, Clearbrook Elevator is crushing organic soybeans for certified organic dairy feed. What began as a sideline… Continue Reading Demand for organic meal helps country elevator thrive

AURI awarded $68,000 USDA Rural Cooperative Development Grant

Listen to radio segment about this story The Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) has been awarded a USDA Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) for $68,340 to further assist with the development of rural cooperatives in Minnesota in 2013. The work done with the grant will build on AURI’s previous successful work implementing an RCDG grant in 2011-12. With the funds, AURI will provide applied research, scientific assistance, project facilitation, marketing,… Continue Reading AURI awarded $68,000 USDA Rural Cooperative Development Grant

Minnesota-made sunflower oil sees growing market

–by Jonathan Eisenthal Hundreds of people dropped by Tom Smude’s booth at the 2013 Minnesota Sportsmen’s Show in St. Paul, many of them already loyal customers of his brand of cold-pressed, high oleic sunflower oil. “Most of them told me they love it when they’re cooking fish,” said Smude. “At other venues, most of the people will say they are buying our oil to use in salad dressing, and… Continue Reading Minnesota-made sunflower oil sees growing market