Minnesotans contend substainable agricultural systems will never be created in Minnesota without a strong value-added, processing sector. This has led to a line item appropriation of $4 million per year to fund Minnesota's effort to create new value-added agricultural enterprises--Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI). The Thirty staff members of AURI include business development specialists, technical staff and communication specialists. The mission of AURI is to help companies or farmer-owned cooperatives develop and commercialize value-added agricultural products.

AURI helps cooperatives and entrepreneurs put together new projects or create new businesses from scratch. Nearly all AURI projects are loans or co-investments with private companies. A small grant program (Pesticide Reduction Option) targets products which are produced with reduced pesticides.

Most films AURI has funded are private companies. A number have been farmer-owned cooperatives, though not as many as APUC in North Dakota. One-third of projects are non-food, non-feed new uses; two-thirds are food or feed products.

AURI has five offices with two located on University of Minnesota campuses. University faculty are recruited for particular projects, but AURI is an independent non-profit corporation.

AURI publishes the quarterly Agricultural Innovation news to publicize state and national efforts to help farmers create value-added enterprises.