Dakota Valley Growers (DVG), a North Dakota-based cattle feeder, has received a substantial grant to kickstart a sustainable beef cattle feeding operation near Bathgate. The grant, awarded by North Dakota’s Agricultural Products Utilization Commission (APUC), will facilitate the project’s initial development in conjunction with Bion Environmental Technologies, Inc. (OTC QB: BNET), an industry leader in advanced livestock waste treatment technology.
DVG has received $128,500 from the APUC, a North Dakota Department of Agriculture branch. The funds are expected to cover 75 percent of initial costs related to engineering, design, permitting, and legal work for developing the DVG project. Engineering teams from DVG and Bion have already assembled and initiated design work that will underpin conditional use permit applications, scheduled for submission within the next two months.
The APUC’s funding is intended to stimulate the creation of jobs and industry in the agricultural economy of North Dakota or to offer new outlets for agricultural products. By bolstering the capacity of Dakota Valley Growers, an anticipated surge in local demand for corn and other grains and agricultural residues, including wet distiller grains, soybean meal, and sugar beet pulp, is expected.
Beyond merely generating demand for local agricultural goods, the DVG project is set to provide numerous additional benefits to the region. These include creating a market for local feeder calves and positioning the state as a front-runner in sustainable beef production. Additionally, DVG will produce environmentally-friendly nitrogen fertilizers and renewable energy from biogas and solar electricity production.
Russell Edgar, the founder of Dakota Valley Growers, commented on the recent development: “We are excited to see things moving forward and pleased that the Ag Products Utilization Commission also recognized this as an opportunity, not just for DVG, but for North Dakota agriculture. We want to thank the North Dakota Livestock Alliance for their help. We anticipate working with other state agencies and stakeholders to support this project and the production of premium finished beef right here in North Dakota.”
Bill O’Neill, CEO of Bion, echoed this sentiment: “We look forward to working with Dakota Valley Growers to develop a sustainable beef production facility in North Dakota. The weather in North Dakota presents unique challenges to feeding cattle outdoors that we believe will highlight the advantages of barns coupled with state-of-the-art waste treatment and resource recovery technology. We very much appreciate the ‘can do’ attitude we have met there and the level of interest and support shown by various ag stakeholders and state agencies.”
As they plan their project, Dakota Valley Growers and Bion anticipate that more grants, incentives, and resources will be available to support their expansion and transition to sustainable beef, fertilizer, and energy production.
Photo by Etienne Girardet on UnsplashÂ