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USDA Rural Development Recognizes Corn Plus Cooperative for Receiving Grant Producer-owned cooperative awarded $24,000 grant WINNEBAGO, Minn., Oct. 17 – Rep. Gil Gutknecht joined officials from Rural Development in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Tuesday to recognize Corn Plus Cooperative in Winnebago, Minn. for recently being awarded a $24,000 grant from USDA Rural Development. The grant comes from Rural Development’s Value-Added Producer Grant Program, and will be used to study the feasibility of producing and marketing fertilizer pellets using syrup ash as the primary ingredient. “We're seeing tremendous value being added to our economy here in Southern Minnesota thanks to renewable energy producers such as Corn Plus,” Gutknecht said. “Good paying jobs are being created and farmers are receiving higher prices for their crop. This grant helps Corn Plus continue development of new products and markets that will add even more value to our economy. I want to congratulate the great people at Corn Plus for their leadership and vision. I also want to congratulate USDA Rural Development for their tireless commitment to rural Minnesota." Value-Added Producer Grants may be used for planning activities, such as feasibility studies or business plans, or to provide working capital for marketing value-added agricultural products and for farm-based renewable energy projects. Eligible applicants are independent producers, farmer and rancher cooperatives, agricultural producer groups, and majority-controlled producer-based business ventures. “Corn Plus cooperative has an innovative idea and I’m glad Rural Development could help out,” said Steve Wenzel, State Director of Rural Development in Minnesota. “I want to congratulate Corn Plus Cooperative and thank them for their contribution to Minnesota’s rural economy.” In 2005, Corn Plus Cooperative became the first ethanol producer in the world to use an ethanol co-product – syrup (or dewatered distillers’ solids) – as fuel in a fluidized bed boiler to produce steam. The innovation enabled Corn Plus to reduce its use of natural gas by more than 50 percent. Since 2001, Rural Development has invested about $3 billion throughout Minnesota. The agency has funding available for housing, clean water, essential community facilities, job creation, and other infrastructure projects. For more information on the Value-Added Producer Grant Program, call Robyn Holdorf at (651) 602-7812. For more information on Rural Development, call the local office in Austin at (507) 437-8247, or visit www.rurdev.usda.gov/mn.
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