BISMARCK – Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring has announced North Dakota Agricultural Products Utilization Commission (APUC) awards for six projects. The awards totaling $261,410 were approved at the APUC quarterly meeting May 19 in Watford City.
APUC is a program of the North Dakota Department of Agriculture that administers grant programs for research and development of new and expanded uses for North Dakota agricultural products which support the development of concepts and products that support our rural communities and agriculture operations. The grants can be used for basic and applied research, marketing and utilization, farm diversification, nature-based agritourism, prototype and technology and technical assistance.
The following received approval:
Aasmundstad Farms was awarded $16,209.77 for farm diversification and necessary supplies and materials for an on-farm meat goat herd. Contact Taylor Aasmundstad at 701-351-0380.
Chapul Farms was awarded $52,000 to accelerate the development of insect agriculture infrastructure to enhance the agricultural economy of North Dakota. Contact Patrick Crowley at 801-341-9211.
Homeland Hempcrete was awarded $13,200 for the design of a semi-autonomous hempcrete application system. Contact Matt Marino at 701-426-3796.
LandTrust, Inc. was awarded $65,000 to launch an online marketplace matching outdoor enthusiasts looking for opportunities on private land with landowners offering unique experiences on farms and ranches. Contact Mark Young at 406-451-1962.
Merwin Quality Lamb LLC was awarded $30,000 to perform a feasibility study for a large-scale lamb confinement operation. Contact David Merwin at 701-928-1412.
Texas Bee Supply, LLC was awarded $85,000 to launch marketing efforts for North Dakota’s first commercial bee supplier. Contact Lyndon Shook at 972-369-6370.
APUC will hold its next grant application hearing on July 20-21, 2022, in Bottineau. Applications for the July meeting must be received by July 1, 2022. Prototype and technical assistance applications must be received by Sept. 1 for the Nov. 16-17, 2022, meeting.