Jan–Mar, 2009

We live in a world that asks, “What have you done for me lately?” Change occurs rapidly, and if we just enjoy past successes we can get caught in the…

Dawson, Minn. — “Soul food” has come to corn and soybean country Noah’s Ark Processors Corp. recently began producing glatt kosher meat, processed according to Jewish dietary laws set forth…

St. Paul, Minn. — In the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” water resources are a growing concern as Minnesota’s industrial, economic development and environmental interests sometimes collide. Using treated municipal wastewater…

Crookston, Minn. — An internet-based communication portal is keeping Minnesota’s Renewable Energy Roundtable participants connected. An internet portal is a single site with multiple functions such as email, news feeds…

St. Paul, Minn. — Lori Karis is helping babies develop better taste. The St. Paul entrepreneur is drawing on her two decades of experience as a professional nanny to produce…

Litchfield, Minn. — It’s not surprising that California and Texas have dairy processing plants twice the size of Minnesota’s biggest. But Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho? They all have plants that…

Bird Island, Minn. – Sunrise Agra Fuels has given an old pellet facility new life and is now Minnesota’s first commercial producer of ag-based biomass fuel pellets. The Bird Island…

Explosive growth in the biofuels industry has cooled, reducing once optimistic numbers for careers in renewable energy. But that doesn’t mean opportunities don’t exist. In June 2007, the biofuels industry…

Roseau, Minn. – Gasifiers can turn crop waste into electricity, but can they turn waste into fertilizer? A project in Minnesota’s northland will find out. The City of Roseau is…

Benson, Minn. – Specially-equipped combines chomped through several thousand acres of corn this fall — collecting cobs as well as grain. The Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company in Benson collected cobs…

A crush on garlic Eating raw garlic may be good for your heart, but not your breath. The solution: crush the pungent little bulbs, then bake them slightly. Garlic and…