Ag Innovation News
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APR-JUN 2005 VOL. 14, NO. 2 AAGG IINNOVATIONNNOVATION NNEWSEWS ® The newspaper of the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute got value-addedpage milk? 6 The way the gluten-free cookie crumbles page 10 Hog tales page 8 page 11 SSweetweet iideasdeas Prospects for Minnesota’s sugar beet industry and other ag commodities page 4 AURI GUIDE TO SERVICES A nonprofit corporation created AURI – a good buy to strengthen rural Minnesota’s economy, AURI helps businesses respond to market opportunities BY EDGAR OLSON Nearly 90 percent of respondents with new and value-added reported AURI lab and pilot plant A recent survey of AURI uses for agricultural goods. The There is nothing quite like the facilities were valuable to their projects. Institute builds working partnerships with satisfaction of finding a bargain — clients showed 55 percent business innovators, agricultural groups and AURI significantly addressed business researchers, and provides technical support to especially saving on a big ticket item or concerns for 85 percent, and improved a getting way more than you paid for. clients conducting new product research and product or process for 70 percent. saved money, 60 percent development. AURI is a bargain for Minnesota. And 60 percent say AURI services are AURI programs are available to legally- avoided costly mistakes organized businesses or cooperatives with In our past fiscal year, AURI provided more valuable now than when they projects that have the potential to create more than 15,000 hours of technical first began working with us. More than and 40 percent increased new uses or new markets for Minnesota service to 245 different value-added 80 percent say AURI is needed by rural agricultural commodities. AURI assistance is projects. Based on a survey of those Minnesota businesses and processors. designed for the early stages of a product’s revenue because of AURI life cycle, while an element of feasibility is yet clients, nearly 200 new jobs were created This client feedback tells us that the vast to be determined. and over $16 million was invested in majority of our clients have received assistance. equipment, infrastructure and other something of value from AURI that Project proposals are evaluated on the items. following criteria: increased their chance at success. • Innovation/uniqueness Thousands of producers were directly And it’s more likely their projects will • Market viability impacted by AURI’s work. And we didn’t positively impact producers. • Use of Minnesota commodities • Number of farmer-producers impacted even figure in the jobs, investments and AURI services are a bargain that offer • Amount of value added from further producers indirectly affected by this Minnesota businesses a competitive processing value-added activity. • Economic impact advantage. • Cost savings Our survey asked clients about the impact of AURI’s assistance: 55 percent Programs are designed to assist with: said they saved money, 40 percent • Identifying emerging value-added opportunities realized increased revenue, and 60 • Developing innovative commodity-based percent avoided costly mistakes because products of AURI guidance. We, like our clients, • Developing production processes for believe this service is valuable to feasible products • Promoting products developed with AURI Minnesota. technical assistance • Providing resources to bring new products and processes to the marketplace Assistance may include: • Access to AURI’s scientific and business staff • Access to laboratory and pilot plant facilities AURI Ag Innovation Quiz • Product development and feasibility testing • Process evaluation and improvement • Technology transfer and applied research • Business needs evaluation After perusing all the information about 3. What disease afflicts 6. How much corn stover is produced in the United • Links to available resources value-added uses for Minnesota crops, test people who can’t tolerate States each year? • Potential for grant funds to qualifying applicants your recall with the following quiz. Good wheat gluten? a. 10 million dry tons luck! a. Silica b. 220 million dry tons AURI provides resources proportionate to the b. Cilia c. 1 billion dry tons project’s impact. Smaller-impact projects may Hint: If you get stumped, the answers are at c. Celiac be eligible for technical assistance only, while projects with industry-wide impact may be the bottom of this quiz. 7. According to the eligible for financial assistance. 4. How much of the U.S. USDA Dietary Guidelines, sugar beet production how many beans should 1. What is 70 percent of the is in Minnesota? Americans consume AURI Facilities soybean oil refined in a. One-third each week? AURI operates several laboratories: Minnesota used for? b. 10 percent a. Two tablespoons • Coproducts Utilization Laboratory a. Food c. 50 percent b. One cup and Pilot Plant, Waseca b. Biodiesel • Fats and Oils Laboratory, Marshall c. Three cups c. Ink • Meat Laboratory, Marshall 5. How many resealable milk cartons does 8. What does the Japanese word “kurobuta” mean? 2. Where does the name AURI Offices McDonald’s sell a. When’s dinner? Six Point Berkshire come from? per week? b. Supreme black hog Headquarters a. When carried across the P.O. Box 599 a. 500,000 c. Tastes like chicken goal line, the pig scores Crookston, MN 56716 b. 2 million d. Dude, where’s my car 6 points 1-800-279-5010 c. 4.2 million e. I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley b. The white tips of a hog’s Southeast Office feet, nose and tail P.O. Box 251 c. The Berkshire constellation Waseca, MN 56093 ANSWERS: (507) 835-8990 ANSWERS: 1)a 2)b 3)c 4)a 5)c 6)b 7)c 8)b 8)b 7)c 6)b 5)c 4)a 3)c 2)b 1)a ANSWERS: Southwest Office 1501 State Street ABOUT AG INNOVATION NEWS Marshall, MN 56258 (507) 537-7440 Dan Lemke, communications director For information on AURI, Address correspondence or Cindy Green, managing editor call 1-800-279-5010 or visit subscription requests to: For staff e-mail addresses, our Web site: www.auri.org Rolf Hagberg, photography Dan Lemke visit AURI on the Web: Design by pounce.com Out-of-state subscriptions are Ag Innovation News www.auri.org $10 per year; Minnesota subscriptions are P.O. Box 251 Published by the Agricultural Utilization free. To save AURI mailing and printing Waseca, MN 56093 TM Research Institute to inform the food, costs, order an electronic version at Telephone: (507) 835-8990 agriculture and business communities and www.auri.org/news/subscrib.htm [email protected] the general public about developments in Trademark of American Soybean ag-based products. PAGE 2 AURI AG INNOVATION NEWS • APR-JUN 2005 Visit our Web site at www.auri.org Special section: A vision for Minnesota commodities A vision for Minnesota commodities dry edible The bean fitness plan beans Dry bean growers tout health benefits and search for nonfood uses BY E.M. MORRISON of dry beans. About 80 percent of the crop is sold for domestic use. Minnesota, one of the Americans should eat up to three cups of top five dry bean states, produces about 115 beans a week. million pounds of dry beans a year, worth That’s according to the 2005 USDA Dietary more than $40 million in farm cash receipts. Guidelines for Americans, which recommends Virtually the entire bean crop is processed that adults triple the amount of beans they into food products, such as canned and dry- now consume. And a new FDA-approved packaged beans and soups, chili, baked beans dietary guidance message says that “diets and Mexican dishes. including beans may reduce your risk of heart disease and certain cancers.” AURI’s food scientist, Charan Wadhawan, has helped many Minnesota entrepreneurs Bean growers hope to make the most of this develop and test new bean products, such good news about one of nature’s healthiest as bean dips, burritos, chili, tamales and foods. “It provides a unique opportunity to specialty bean flours. really get the message out about dry beans,” says Tim Courneya, executive director of Northarvest Bean Growers Association, which Exploring new uses represents 3,000 farmers in Minnesota and North Dakota. “Nutrition speaks nationwide.” Taking a cue from the corn and soybean industries, growers are looking for nonfood Northarvest is leading a national effort to bean uses, as well. “The corn and soybean craft a marketing campaign that promotes people have really paved the way,” Courneya the health benefits of eating beans. “We says, “by creating a model of what can be want a unified message” that will allow the done as far as industrial uses for crops.” entire bean industry to speak with one voice, Courneya says. In January, Northarvest Bean Growers commissioned North Dakota State University to review scientific literature on Beans for better health the composition and alternative uses of dry beans. Growers expect this review to spark Navy, kidney, pinto, black and other dry beans research on industrial applications for dry are high in protein, contain no saturated fat or bean extracts at the USDA National Center cholesterol, and pack more fiber than many for Agriculture Utilization Research in Peoria, whole grain foods, according to the American Ill. Potential new-use opportunities could Dry Bean Board. They also provide important include: nutrients, such as calcium, iron, potassium, selenium, magnesium and folic acid. “In • Insect and fungi control many parts of the world, beans are an important dietary staple,” says Stacey Zawel, • Black plastic executive director of the Beans for Health • Starch-digestion inhibitors Alliance, which promotes beans worldwide, “but Americans are not eating enough.” • Oxidation inhibitors • Pharmaceuticals More beans on the table AURI is also working on nonfood uses, including burning damaged beans for energy. By spreading the word about beans’ contribution to good health, growers aim Dry beans are a small agricultural sector, to lift consumption, Courneya says.