APUC to Review Funding Requests Totaling $620,031
by ND Department of Commerce Posted on 7/11/2012
The North Dakota Agricultural Products Utilization Commission (APUC) will review funding requests for thirteen projects totaling $620,031 at its quarterly meeting set for July 19th at the AmericInn Lodge & Suites in Beulah.
APUC is a program of the North Dakota Department of Commerce which administers grant programs for researching and developing new and expanded uses for North Dakota agricultural products. The grants can be used for basic and applied research, marketing and utilization, farm diversification, nature based agri-tourism, prototype and technology, and technical assistance.
The following requests will be reviewed:
StopSensor, New Salem, is requesting $25,000 for funding that will help bring StopSensor to market by funding the production of 15 prototype devices and related accessories to be used in field tests and product demonstrations. These units will be tests in a variety of agricultural applications from small farm operations to agronomy centers. For more information, contact Larry Mosbrucker at 701-425-2774.
Dakota Precision Ag Center, Devils Lake, is requesting $25,000 to assist for acquisition of precision toolbar components. The precision injection toolbar project will add precision guidance and placement technology to a slurry manure injection toolbar that has been specifically designed for northern plains use when placing dairy and swine manure in high plains soil profiles. For more information, contact Melinda Martin at 701-662-1652.
VFM, LLC, Fargo, is requesting $28,500 to defray the costs associated with prototype development, IE parts, wages for software development, Alpha/beta testing, Patent/Trademark research, and patent applications, for mobile application auto-steer technology . For more information, contact James Dravitz at 218-791-5044.
NDSU Dept of Plant Sciences - Marcelo Carena, Fargo, is requesting $75,000 to assist the research that will expand utilization of NDSU products with increased job creation in rural areas, ultimately improving the expansion and sustainability of the agricultural economy of the state. Project expenses include salaries for graduate students, travel to sites, winter nurseries, and seed increases and releases of marketable inbred and hybrid varieties to identified Foundation Seed Companies. For more information, contact Marcelo Carena at 701-231-8138.
NDSU Dept of Mechanical Engineering - Dilpreet Bajwa, Fargo, is requesting $24,465 to assist with Masonite PrimeBoard, Inc of Wahpeton, ND who currently uses wheat straw for making fiber boards. This project will help identify the feasibility of using soy and corn agriculture fibers for manufacturing existing products without compromising the quality and durability characteristics of low density fiber boards. The new product will be green, eco-friendly and qualify for sustainable material credit. For more information, contact Dilpreet Bajwa at 701-231-8045.
North Dakota Trade Office, Fargo, is requesting $25,000 to defray the costs associated to host a reverse trade mission for buyers from Indonesia, Vietnam, and other Southeast Asian countries. For more information, contact Dean Gorder at 701-231-1150.
Northern Corn Development Corporation, Fargo, is requesting $150,000 to assist in acquiring a professional accountant, marketing, and legal services to complete the business plan and acquire the necessary equity to launch a plant that will target gas currently being flared in the Bakken oil formation. The principle source of the hydrogen captured from the flared gas is to make fertilizer. For more information, contact Tom Lilja at 701-364-2250.
Progressive Nutrient Systems, Fargo, is requesting $75,000 to defray the costs associated to demonstrate the technical feasibility of a distributed modular ammonia synthesis process, and the business plan/economic opportunity for a modular distributed ammonia based system. For more information, contact Dan Olson at 701-936-1086.
Amberland Foods, Inc., Harvey, is requesting $61,000 to assist in the over haul of their website and to create a cross selling/marketing plan for out of state customers and expand efforts with "big" stores such as the Fargo Sheels. For more information, contact Tami Feist at 701-324-4804.
Dakota College at Bottineau, Bottineau, is requesting $11,200 to assist in the costs associated in purchasing a tea compost system, compost tumblers and injection system which will then be used to research the effectiveness of compost tea for nutrient management in high tunnel vegetable production. For more information, contact Holly Mawby at 701-228-4032.
UND - Civil Engineering, Grand Forks, is requesting $45,000 to defray the costs associated in the research to investigate the use of lignin from ethanol production as a soil stabilizing agent. Three different type of lignin will be obtained from different ethanol plants in North Dakota. For more information, contact Daba Gedafa at 701-777-3976.
Food First, LLC; Div. of Harvest Fuel Inc., Walhalla, is requesting $35,000 to defray the costs used to quantify the impact prebiotics from wheat, oats, barley, and flax have on stimulating growth of beneficial bifidobacterium to improve digestive health. Consumers will have better information to make informed decisions on a dietary fiber source. For more information, contact Robert Thronberg at 701-549-3450.
APUC is an office within Economic Development and Finance, a division of the North Dakota Department of Commerce. For additional information, please visit www.ndapuc.com.
