Of Cats & Corn

Of Cats and Corn

Most weeks at AURI are interesting, but some are just a bit more memorable.

On June 16, we had a four person crew from Animal Planet here working on a segment for the show Must Love Cats. AURI coproducts guru Alan Doering and fellow scientist Kevin Hennessy have tested a variety of agricultural products for use as animal litters. This includes corn, wheat as well as coproducts. 

For the better part of a day, the crew followed Al around and shot video of various tests that AURI scientists have conducted to determine odor control properties, clumping ability, sorbency and a wide range of other characteristics. It will be interesting to see how the segment captures the work.

From what we have been told, the show is supposed to air on Animal Planet sometime in January of 2011.

Also this week AURI presented our annual Ag Innovator of the Year Award to Suntava. This company produces a deep purple corn that is grown in southwest Minnesota. From the grain, Suntava extracts the pigment for use as a food and beverage colorant as well as a nutraceutical ingredient. They also utilize the meal for chips and tortillas.

 

As part of the award presentation, we were able to tour their facility in St. Paul. It is amazing how many food items contain artificial colorants. The Suntava colorant very closely mirrors the color profile of red dye #40, which is the industry standard but is derived from refined petroleum. It is easily water soluble and looks amazing. The future looks very bright for this innovative Minnesota company that is moving agricultural products into a whole new place. 

Recognizing Innovation

Recognizing Innovation

It often seems as though agriculture gets short changed when it comes to the value that it contributes to economic growth and activity. While it may lack some of the star power of devices like medical devices or computer components, don’t misunderstand the value of what agriculture provides.

Far beyond providing the basic food and fiber needs of our society, agriculture and ag processing are major economic drivers for Minnesota and many other states. These industries provide jobs and dollars to be spent. This is the lifeblood of most rural communities.

Innovations have moved agricultural items into exciting places including the energy world. Renewable fuels such as biodiesel, ethanol, methane gas and other ag-based energy sources have spurred development benefiting rural communities and agriculture at the same time.

New innovations are creating new opportunities for agricultural products in areas such as bio-based plastics, next generation biofuels, new food products and more. These innovations are also helping ag processing leftovers not be viewed as waste products, but as additional revenue streams.

Each year AURI recognizes an Ag Innovator of the Year. This is presented to an AURI client who has shown innovation in their product or process, has entered the marketplace and holds the potential to utilize significant amounts of agricultural products or ingredients. We will be presenting the 2010 award on June 17 to a Minnesota company that AURI has worked with and identified as an example of an innovative company that is moving agriculture into exciting new places.