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Helena – Agriculture Development Council selects Growth Through Agriculture projects

~ Next Application Deadline is October 31, 2005 ~

HELENA, Mont — The Montana Agriculture Development Council has awarded more than $285,000 of Growth Through Agriculture program funds to nine projects for agricultural development, according to council Chair Ervin Schlemmer.

Projects approved at a recent council meeting in Helena included agricultural marketing and business development proposals. The Agriculture Development Council oversees the Growth Through Agriculture program, which is the source of funding that the council uses to make investments in appropriate projects.

"The Growth Through Agriculture program continues to attract exciting new projects for adding value to Montana’s agricultural commodities," says Nancy K. Peterson, director of the Montana Department of Agriculture and a council member. "The program assists Montana’s farmers, ranchers and agricultural entrepreneurs in developing new products and ideas to grow our state’s agricultural industry."

At the meeting investment funds were awarded to:

* Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation – business plan and marketing study for ethanol and ethanol by-products, Box Elder;

* Alternative Energy Resources Organization (AERO) – printing of the Abundant Montana directory and website development for the directory, Helena;

* Montana’s Pioneer Products – advertising and promotional kiosks for chili products using buffalo meat and other meats, Billings;

* Great Northern Development Corporation – northeastern Montana ethanol / cattle feeding feasibility study, Wolf Point;

* Glendive Community GATE – feasibility study for a commercial kitchen / farm-to-table restaurant / microbrewery / local producers cooperative, Glendive;

* Eastern Plains RC&D – evaluation of wheat and barley for ethanol production to be performed by the Eastern Agricultural Research Center, Sidney;

* Montana Stockgrowers Association / Montana MarketManager – Follow the Cattle Tour 2006, Helena;

* North-Missoula Community Development Corporation – business feasibility study, food distribution research, and strategic business plan for a North-Missoula food cooperative local foods venture, Missoula;

* Sustainable Living Systems – formation of the Bitterroot Valley Food Co-op, market analysis, strategic action plan and business plan, and development of sales and marketing materials, Stevensville.

Montana agricultural producers and industry representatives serve on the Agriculture Development Council. Council members are: Ervin Schlemmer of Joliet, chair; John Franklin of Sidney, vice-chair; Patricia Quisno of Harlem; Verges Aageson of Gildford; David Tyler of Belgrade; Nancy K. Peterson, director of the Montana Department of Agriculture; and Tony Preite, director of the Montana Department of Commerce.

The next deadline for project applications to the Growth Through Agriculture program is October 31, 2005. The council plans to review the next round of project applications in early December.

For more information and application materials, contact Justin Hager, Growth Through Agriculture program manager, at the Montana Department of Agriculture, at (406) 444-2402 or by e-mail at mailto:[email protected].

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