Apr–Jun, 2011

Morris, Minn. — First cow beds, now garden beds. A leading Minnesota milk producer is expanding the uses for anaerobically-digested dairy manure solids. Riverview LLP, which milks 30,000 cows in…

Stevens County, Minn. — Minnesota’s largest milk producer makes more than moo juice. Since its founding in 1976, Riverview has grown steadily, becoming a leader in Minnesota’s dairy sector and…

Jan Anderson is doing a lively trade in Riverview’s anaerobically-digested dairy manure solids, which she whimsically markets as “reconstituted grains from Riverview Dairy.” Anderson and her husband, Lloyd, operate Anderson…

AURI has considerable experience helping Minnesota entrepreneurs develop and test products for the nursery, landscape and gardening sectors. Some of the nursery industry products AURI has worked on include: •…

A cheese manufacturer loads whey into an oxygen-deprived vessel where microorganisms thrive. Bacteria bugs eat the whey and create methane gas that will power the cheese plant. Entrepreneurial dairy producers…

Consumers are demanding more environmentally-friendly products; Minnesota plastics manufacturers are paying attention. The recently-released Renewable Materials Report for AURI, conducted by the Russell Herder research and public relations firm in…

Plastics made from plants rather than petroleum are gaining market share around the globe. Derived from renewable biomass such as cornstarch, soy protein and cellulose, bioplastics are used in almost…

Minneapolis, Minn. — In the late 1990s, Enrique and Noelia Garcia were making traditional Mexican tamales for friends. Today they make tamales for 250 groceries and food service outlets, and…

Green chemistry, an emerging scientific approach, focuses not just on a final product, but also on coproducts and production processes that are sustainable. It’s a familiar concept in agriculture. A…

Biodegradable mouse Fujitsu is now producing the world’s first biodegradable computer mouse. The ECO mouse is made from renewable BIOGRADE® material, rather than plastic, and is fully recyclable. From: Biobased…

But agriculture still has a big impact on urban folks.

Agriculture is the state’ second largest employer, and 80 percent of the industry’s jobs are in processing, distribution and supply, according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Most of those off-farm jobs are in the Twin Cities and suburbs.

Marshall, Minn. — “Recall” is an alarming word food for companies, especially when it’s caused by contamination. The ramifications can be long lasting and the recovery arduous for a business…

Crookston, Minn. — Biomass and people have one thing in common; it’s what’s inside that counts. A major challenge to producing biomass fuel is knowing what’s inside the feedstock that…

Paul Simonsen represents the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council. He farms near Fairfax, Minn. State Representative Rod Hamilton chairs the Agriculture and Rural Development Policy and Finance committee in…