Jan–Mar, 2003

It is not often you can equate baseball with agriculture, but believe it or not, there are parallels. Anyone who followed the Minnesota Twins this past season knows they had…

Change may be welcomed or feared. But almost always, it brings opportunity — especially in value-added agriculture. Brought on by changing global realities, prospects for value-added agriculture are rapidly expanding.…

A century ago, the renowned botanist George Washington Carver made rubber from sweet potatoes, marble from wood shavings, and ink, dye and insulating board from peanuts. Working to solve the…

Distiller’s grains, waste pulp, crop residues — they are the stuff of dreams for Roger Ruan, a University of Minnesota scientist. Ruan is testing a chemical process that liquefies ag…

Biobased fuels may be the largest growth area for agricultural product utilization in the next decade. From individual farming operations to municipal utilities, energy consumers are intrigued by renewable fuels.…

A key requirement for the measure to take effect, however, is that Minnesota reach a biodiesel production capacity of eight million gallons by 2005. To help make that happen, AURI…

AURI is working with farmers, energy suppliers and large consumers to promote and deliver renewable energy sources for a variety of applications, from home heating to municipal power. Liquids at…

Comfort foods — steaming oatmeal, spaghetti with tomato sauce, roast beef with garlic potatoes — are good not only for the soul, but also the heart and immune system. Oatmeal…

Minneapolis, Minn. — Biorefining, Inc. wants to turn a dime’s worth of raw material into medicinal components worth hundreds of dollars — and do it more efficiently than anyone else.…

Maybe the way to consumers’ hearts is through the stomach, but the food industry can get closer to their pocketbooks by stressing convenience, health and safety, according to AURI meat…

Fosston, Minn. — Who says you can’t teach an old carrot new tricks? Over the past 14 years, through tightened export markets and a fire in 1997, Minnesota Dehydrated Vegetables…

The food industry is an ever-changing landscape, but successful products and processes can change the tastes and health of whole generations. AURI food scientists have helped farmers and small business…

It’s only natural that the fruits of the soil make the best materials for repairing and protecting the soil. Mulches, erosion control mats, fertilizers, and other landscaping products that incorporate…

While organic farmers and gardeners are the market target, other opportunities are emerging for AllDown. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is using AllDown in Washington and Oregon to help…

AURI has helped to design a number of landscape-oriented projects and more are expected in the near future. Projects range from fertilizers to oil-absorbent mats; many add value to low-value…

Brewster, Minn. — A new facility that will crush soybeans for meal, oil and possibly biodiesel is going up in southern Minnesota. The Minnesota Soybean Processors held a groundbreaking ceremony…