Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI)

Agricultural innovation from idea to reality

Who We Are

AURI is all about taking agricultural innovations from idea to reality with the goal of strengthening

Minnesota’s economy and creating new jobs.

AURI’s Core Four Focus Areas

Food

Renewable Energy

Biobased Products

Coproduct Utilization

AURI’s Services

Applied Research and Development

Hands-on Scientific Assistance

Innovation Networking

AURI Locations

• Crookston• Marshall• Waseca• Statewide staff

Who AURI Helps

• Existing businesses• Agriprocessors• Entrepreneurs• Producer-owned cooperatives• Partners/collaborators

AURI’s Impact:Why What We Do Matters

AURI’s Impact: The Entire State of Minnesota

Effective Management of Resources

In FY11 and FY12, AURI:• Helped create 178 new or improved products• Helped businesses with 90 new or improved

processes• Leverages $5,680,046 of non-state funds

AURI: Setting a Vision for the Future

Industry-Wide Initiatives

• Broad impact• Public domain information• Developed through stakeholder meetings• Active dissemination of information

Initiative Examples• Biobased Products Report• Dryer Technology Demonstrations• Ash Densification• Biomass heating vs. Propane• Dewatering Demonstration

• Research is just the beginning, not the end• Collaboration with other organizations is critical during

every step of innovation

AURI: Growing Minnesota’s economy one client at a time

Client StoriesCompost-A-Mat• Idea to reality: A comfortable yet

biodegradable mat for use in hog farrowing and nursery barns. Made from cornstalks; improves growing conditions; decreases mortality rates for baby and weaned pigs.

• AURI’s role: Provide connections to a manufacturer and scientific resources to help test and develop the product

• Outcomes: Sold more than one million mats; created at least six jobs in northern Minnesota

Swheat Scoop (Pet Care Systems)• Idea to reality: A renewable, flushable cat

litter made from naturally-clumping wheat.• AURI’s role: Product development and testing• Outcomes: $20 million business; employs 24 full-

time workers; a national sales force of eight; will add four new jobs in the near future

Client Stories

Client StoriesNots!• Idea to reality: A crunchy snack for those with nut

allergies• AURI’s Role: Product development, nutritional

labeling and cost-share assistance• Outcomes: Nots! produces about 100 cases of nots

a month and is growing

Client Stories

Protecting our waters with ag filtersIdea to reality: Bioreactors (biofilters) help reduce fertilizer run-off and soil erosion, but have been made from wood chips or straw, which have high costs. AURI is exploring the effectiveness of using agricultural residues such as corn stover and wheat and barley straw.AURI’s role: AURI is conducting a 15-month study in partnership with the USDA-ARS lab in St. PaulOutcomes: If agricultural fibers can be used in place of wood chips or straw, it will save money for producers, encouraging participation in this conservation practice; it will also make use of products such as corn stover and wheat and barley straw, which are often unused waste.Partners: USDA-ARS Lab

Client StoriesFeeding TrialsIdea to reality: Farmers need more information about new livestock feed alternatives to make economical and nutritious choicesAURI’s role: AURI does many feed trials with the U of M and commodity groups; then disseminates the info to producers in a variety of waysOutcomes: Improving livestock feed with the coproducts left over during agricultural processing is a win-win. Livestock farmers find nutritional, lower cost feed options. The agricultural processing industry adds value to the products left over during processing.Partners: University of Minnesota, Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council, Minnesota Turkey Growers, Minnesota Pork Producers, and others

Client StoriesRiverview Dairy• Idea to reality: Use digested

manure solids from its 30,000 cattle for energy and as a garden soil amendment and peat alternative

• AURI’s role: Characterizing the physical and chemical attributes of the digester solids; horticulture research trials

• Outcomes: The Riverview group in MN, SD, and NE now employs more than 400 people.

Client Stories

EarthClean Corporation• Idea to reality: Certification to

use the corn-based firefighting product to fight forest fires; development of a liquid version of the product

• AURI’s role: Product development and testing• Outcomes: Commercial quantities of TetraKO powder

will be available for the 2012-13 wildfire season; work on the liquid version of the firefighting product is well underway.

• BioTarp• New product developed in our Marshall lab

to replace plastic tarps to cover silage and grain piles

Client Stories

Client Stories

• Alternative Energy Solutions, Altura, MNo Heats 65,000 sq. ft. of greenhouseo Reduces energy costs by about 50%o Uses 500-600 tons pellets/year

Client Stories

Vector WindowsIdea to reality: Vector Windows wanted to improvethe overall energy efficiency and “green aspects” of their windows.AURI’s role: AURI staff introduced them to soy-based polyoil insulation, connected them to the manufacturer and equipment provider, and provided cost-share assistance for testing.Outcomes: Vector’s windows now have an R-5 quality grade, meeting the newest energy efficiency standards set by the Obama administration. They are also looking to create a label that promotes their use of Minnesota farmers’ products.Partners: Harold Stanislawski, executive director of the Fergus Falls Economic Improvement Commission, connected Vector Windows with AURI.