Northern Crops Institute Summer Update Northern Crops Institute supports regional agriculture and value-added processing by conducting educational and 2014 technical programs that expand and maintain domestic and international markets for northern-grown crops. NCI Feed Production Center Gets State-of-the-Art Upgrade Watch for NCI’s re-designed website that launches soon at www.northern-crops.com Open House ● Feed Center Tours ● Refreshments August 20 You are invited to see our new feed processing equipment and capabilities. We will recognize our industry donors and commodity partners for their significant support in this major equipment renovation. Begins at NCI Main Facility, 1240 Bolley Drive, at 2:30 p.m. Moves to NCI Feed Center, 3212 19th Avenue North, at 4 p.m. Northern Crops Institute ● Fargo, N.D. ● 701-231-7736 Connecting in the Global Marketplace NCI Celebrates Completion of Feed Center Equipment Upgrade A Big Thank You to the Project’s Financial and Equipment Donors Northern Crops Institute (NCI) will host an Open House on Wednesday, August 20, to celebrate the completion of a major equipment upgrade at the NCI Feed Production Center. The upgrade includes the installation of a new mixer, a new automation system, and the facility’s first micro-ingredient system. Over 75% of the $800,000 project costs came from commodity groups and private industry donations, according to Mark Weber, NCI Director. Funding for the upgrade was a collaborative effort between the North Dakota Legislature, the feed equipment industry, and regional commodity groups. It began with an initial appropriation of $100,000 from North Dakota’s 63rd Legislative Session in 2013, and grew with monetary donations from the North Dakota corn and soybean commodity groups, and generous equipment donations from the feed industry’s equipment manufacturers. NDSU also provided valuable facility management services. NCI Director Mark Weber says, “We are very excited for the public to come and see the new Feed Center equipment and learn about our new and expanded technical capabilities. At the Open House, we will recognize our industry donors and commodity partners for their significant support in this major equipment renovation.” Eighteen Chinese feed manufacturers will also be at the Feed Feed Center Upgrade Donors: Center the week of August 18-22 to attend the Feed Manufacturing Technology course. They will be the first group to do hands-on APEC-Automated Process Equipment Corporation training with the new equipment. They are sponsored by the Bliss Industries, Inc. Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, North Dakota Border States Electric Soybean Council, and the South Dakota Soybean Council. Endress+Hauser The Feed Center hosts feed training courses for participants Industrial Fabrication Services, Inc. from around the world and serves as a training facility for regional Interstates Control Systems, Inc. undergraduate and graduate students. In addition, the center is Intersystems, Inc. a working feed mill, producing livestock feed for the university’s Seedburo Equipment Company animal units as well as research projects. Scott Equipment Company “This renovation was necessary to aid the education The Essmueller Company capabilities of NCI. The two primary goals of the Feed Center are to Viking Pump, Inc. teach feed manufacturers and to make feed for the NDSU animals,” North Dakota Corn Council says Kim Koch, Ph.D., NCI Feed Center manager. “Our previous North Dakota Soybean Council system made good feed, but it was not the kind of system on which North Dakota 63rd Legislative Assembly 2013 you want to train people for the modern feed industry. Because NCI is a globally-recognized leader in training and education, our visitors expect to see the most modern equipment. It’s a competitive world and we need to be at the highest level of technology.” Koch, a graduate of the grain milling science program at Kansas State University, has over 25 years of experience in feed manufacturing and teaching. He has traveled extensively internationally to present seminars and troubleshoot for feed companies. He frequently collaborates with other technical experts, particularly with the American Soybean Association- International Marketing and the U.S. Grains Council. “Gerald Leukam, who was employed by T.E. Ibberson when this project began, provided invaluable assistance with securing equipment donations,” according to Koch. Leukam is currently Director of Business Development with The Weitz Company, Minneapolis. “Equipment vendors that participated in this modernization project saw the value of students and short course partici- pants having hands-on experience with feed manufacturing equipment,” says Leukam. “The equipment manufacturers who were invited to participate in this project are leaders in the industry. They realized that NCI has to stay current with state-of- the-art equipment and processes in order to keep the interest of students and keep the industry respect that NCI has earned. The equipment manufacturers understand that the primary purpose of NCI is to provide more opportunities for the growers of northern-grown crops. Modern equipment and first class controls in the Feed Production Center will allow NCI to stay in front of an ever-changing world marketplace, and demonstrate that it is in the forefront of feeding the world’s growing popu- lation,” Leukam concludes. “With the huge increase of soybean and corn production in the region, North Dakota has become the fourth largest soybean producing state in the nation,” says Weber. “When combined with Minnesota and South Dakota, it is a significant soybean and corn region. The Feed Center will become an even more important part of NCI’s overall programming. The up- grade enhances NCI’s worldwide reputation as a provider of high quality feed technology programming using soybeans, corn, dried distillers grains, barley, and other crops grown in this region,” he concludes. 2 Thank You to the Outgoing NCC Members for Their Service to NCI Zurn and Peltier Re-Elected as Chair and Vice Chair at June Meeting NCC Chair Karolyn Zurn (middle) and NCI Director Mark Weber (far right) thanked the outgoing NCC board members for their service on the Northern Crops Council (NCC) by presenting each with an engraved clock at the June 2014 meeting. Kevin Skunes (far left), a producer from Arthur, N.D., represented the North Dakota Corn Utilization Council for two terms. Bob Majkrzak (second from left), President of Red River Commodities, completed two terms on the Council where he also served as Chair for two years. He will continue to serve on the NCI Industry Advisory Board. Mark Jossund (second from right) completed two terms on the Council, where he represented the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council. Jay Romsa, General Mills, (not pictured) also was recognized as an outgoing board member who served one term on the NCC. He Kevin Skunes, Bob Majkrzak, and Mark Jossund accept their engraved clocks from Karolyn Zurn, NCC Chair, and Mark Weber, NCI Director. was unable to attend the meeting. At the meeting, Zurn and Keith Peltier were re-elected by unanimous ballots as NCC Chair and Vice Chair, respectively. New members on the Northern Crops Council are: James Aarsvold, Blanchard, N.D., representing the North Dakota Corn Growers; John Bartsch, Maple Grove, Minn., dry bean producer; Anthony Chavez, Buhler Sortex, Inc., Stockton, Calif.; Dave Katzke, General Mills, Minneapolis, Minn.; and Perry Ostmo, Sharon, N.D., representing the North Dakota Soybean Council. Arnold Woodbury, a producer from Wyndmere, N.D., was re-appointed by the N.D. Oilseed Council to fill their permanent seat on the NCC. Chet Edinger, a producer from Mitchell, S.D., was re-elected to represent the South Dakota Wheat Commission. Fowler Becomes NCI Milling Consultant Mark Fowler has joined the Northern Fowler was lead instructor for the IGP-NCI Durum Milling Crops Institute’s team as a Milling course held this spring at the NCI (see story on page 4). Consultant. Fowler will direct efforts to That successful effort led to the formation of this exciting improve operating performance and partnership between NCI and IGP Institute. efficiencies in NCI’s Flour Mill, train NCI Fowler comments, “I am looking forward to working staff in the mill’s basic operations, teach with the NCI team. I place a high value on partnerships educational programs related to flour and collaborations when two organizations such as the milling, and build partnerships with IGP Institute and Northern Crops Institute can advance our private industry who want to utilize NCI’s Fowler mission by working together to serve U.S. wheat farmers. I facilities. bring both international and domestic milling experience to Fowler will continue his duties as Associate Director of the NCI classroom and experimental milling program. The the International Grains Program (IGP) Institute at Kansas milling capacity of NCI’s pilot mill is complimentary to that of State University. the Hal Ross flour mill at Kansas State,” says Fowler. “I am extremely pleased that Mark Fowler has agreed In 2009, NCI’s pilot durum mill was converted into a to serve in an advisory capacity to manage our flour mill,” dual-purpose mill to give the region the capability to mill says NCI Director Mark Weber. “He has over 20 years of pilot-scale or test-scale quantities of bread wheats (Hard Red experience in the milling industry. He is well respected in Spring, Hard Red Winter and Hard White) into flour for quality the milling industry and has taught flour milling courses at and test baking/processing evaluations. The mill retains the IGP Institute for many years,” he concludes. capability to mill durum wheat into high quality semolina. 3 Combined Durum Milling and Pasta Manufacturing Courses Attract 26 Participants from Canada, Guatemala, Mexico, Nigeria and U.S. Two popular NCI courses were offered during the same week to make it easier for milling and pasta specialists to gain training in a common body of knowledge.