Jul–Sep, 2009

If you’re planning to compete in local food markets, be prepared. The bite can be more than a small grower can chew. That’s advice from a recent AURI market study…

In the food-distribution business, it’s no longer a small, small world. Food companies used to be able to buy small volumes of locally-grown products from area farmers — but no…

Why do consumers buy “local” foods? By far the most important reason is to get better quality, says University of Minnesota economist Robert King, who did a 2006 survey of…

The definition is up for grabs. An AURI market study found that every retailer and food service company surveyed had a slightly different definition of local food. In general, though,…

Apple Valley, Minn. — Gary Pahl grows more than 1,000 acres of vegetables and flowers in Dakota County. But that’s just his seasonal job. He spends 52 weeks a year…

For 20 years, working in the realm of innovation, AURI has seen an endless supply of unique and interesting ideas for agricultural products. Economic times have changed and social influences…

Interest in energy independence tends to go up and down with price postings at the gas stations. “When fuel prices went way up, we started to see a lot more…

Montevideo, Minn. — David Eid, a former corn farmer who grew up in sugar-beet country, is championing sweet sorghum for fuel. Why advocate growing the nontraditional sugar crop in corn…

North Mankato, Minn. — Minnesota’s biodiesel consumption got a power boost this spring when the state’s requirement for biodiesel blends more than doubled. Beginning May 1, diesel sold in Minnesota…

Altura, Minn. — The Kreidermacher family has a history of innovation — from producing and marketing their own flowers, vegetables and pork to making their own energy. Family members’ newest…

Marshall, Minn. — It’s not often that removing a key ingredient makes a recipe better, but reducing oil in distiller’s grains may improve swine diets as well as ethanol-plant profits,…

Minneapolis, Minn. — Dr. Alison Levitt wants to “spread the health.” A medical doctor with a lifelong passion for promoting healthy lifestyles, Levitt has developed Flackers, a line of all-natural…