Questions remain with the closure of the Ag Innovation Campus soybean crush facility in Crookston. The concept began six years ago, followed by a $1 million investment in a feasibility study funded by the Minnesota soybean checkoff program. Construction began in 2021 and the $24 million plant began processing soybeans nearly one year ago. At an event in January of last year, Plant Manager Bill Paulsen spoke to the Red River Farm Network about the project. “This was an exciting project from the get-go. There’s nothing else like this. This is a research facility that wants to have a crush facility. It’s a non-profit company but they want an efficient running crush facility that operates the same as everybody else that’s crushing beans.” In 2019, the Minnesota Legislature approved $5 million within the omnibus agriculture bill for the Ag Innovation Campus. Another $750,000 was awarded in 2023. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development invested $452,000 from its public infrastructure grant program. Other major investors in the project include the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute and Farmers Union Enterprises. Funding for AIC primarily came from loans advanced by AgCountry Farm Credit Services.
