Agristo receives $250,000 from state to develop engineering plan

GRAND FORKS — Agristo, the Belgian potato processor, has been awarded $250,000 from the state to develop engineering plans for its planned Grand Forks processing facility.

The $450 million project, when completed and operational in 2028, is expected to add some 350 jobs to the area.

Agristo North Dakota LLC received the award as part of a round of funding totaling $926,800 announced by North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring Friday morning, Nov. 28. Other organizations to receive Agricultural Products Utilization Commission awards are:

• Independent Data Management, of Fargo, was awarded $250,000 to improve the MyAgData electronic acreage reporting system;
• The North Dakota Department of Agriculture was awarded $85,000 to help North Dakota companies promote their products at domestic and international trade shows;
• ND Malting and Hops, Inc., of Williston, was awarded $76,800 for marketing;
• Triple 8 Assets LLC, of Williston, was awarded $160,000 to establish a laboratory;
• Rope and Oak Nature Park was awarded $40,000 to purchase equipment to establish an agritourism park near Hickson, an unincorporated township in Cass County;
• Kathrein Beef Company, of New England, North Dakota, was awarded $25,000 to help establish a ranch-to-market beef business; and
• Prospect Growth, Inc., of Fargo was awarded $40,000 to further develop a nanoparticle-based fertilizer.

Also Friday, the state Department of Agriculture announced $1 million in Agriculture Diversification and Development awards. Recipients are:

• Anchor Ingredients received $300,000 to upgrade three Hillsboro plants with new equipment to process flour and oat hulls;
• Cavendish Farms received $500,000 for the expansion of its Jamestown potato processing facility;
• Tracey Hauck, of Richardton, North Dakota, in Stark County, received $150,000 to build cattle confinement barn; and
• Weinlaeder Seed Company, of Drayton, received $50,000 to procure lab equipment for the expansion of a food-grade processing facility.

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