Farmers and ranchers are facing some difficult challenges today, ranging from commodity prices to export markets to weather and more.

AURI and its staff of experts actively work to address low commodity prices and new market opportunities. It accomplishes this by helping develop new, value-added solutions in collaboration with state entities and private entrepreneurs to increasing awareness of existing value-added products that have commercial potential.

I’m proud of the work AURI has done for Minnesota over the past 30 years and am thankful for the Minnesota Legislature’s ongoing support of this work. But today, we need your help to make our efforts go
even further!

If you’ve read my article at the beginning of this quarter’s Ag Innovation News, the article on AURI’s Ag Innovation Partnership program, or the Seeing Around Corners column, then you understand AURI has big aspirations to benefit the entirety of the state and further its impact. However, to accomplish these goals in as short a time as possible, we need resources and help.

That’s why, beginning this month, AURI is launching a fundraising campaign to help bring additional benefits to Minnesota agriculture and communities throughout the state. And by participating in this campaign you can help AURI develop opportunities to the challenges faced by our friends and neighbors in the food and agriculture sectors.

In fact, your partnership is crucial to our efforts in acquiring new equipment and resources, which enables us to offer a wider set of services and solutions to those we work with in developing new value-added products.

That’s why I’m asking you, our dedicated reader, to donate today. If you believe in the work we are doing and the positive impact value added innovations bring to the agricultural industry, then please consider supporting us by giving even a small amount of $10 this year. Donating is easy, all you have to do is visit our Give to the Max donation portal and with a couple of clicks, you will have made a meaningful contribution to AURI’s efforts.