| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Matt McKamey |
| June 21, 2004 | (406) 444-2402
TTY (406) 444-4687 |
Montana Agriculture Development Council Announces Awards
HELENA, Mont. — The Montana Agriculture Development Council has awarded more than $181,000 to eight projects for agricultural development in Montana, according to council Chair Earl Bricker.
Projects approved at a recent council meeting in Lewistown included both marketing and business development proposals. The Agriculture Development Council oversees the Montana Growth Through Agriculture program, which is the source of funding that the council uses to make investments in appropriate projects. Investments are offered in three forms including investments without repayment, investments with deferred repayment and seed capital loans.
"The Growth Through Agriculture program provides investments to enhance the marketing of innovative Montana agricultural products and services," says Ralph Peck, director of the Montana Department of Agriculture and a member of the Montana Agriculture Development Council. "The program also helps Montana entrepreneurs develop new products and agri-business ideas to enhance our state's agricultural industry."
At the meeting, investment funds were awarded to:
- Great Falls Development Authority Inc. - Engineering costs for the development of rail infrastructure for an agricultural commodity processing park, Great Falls;
- Plain-Vista Dairy - Development of methane digester on a dairy operation, Manhattan;
- Country Mercantile- market planning and the development of marketing materials, Fromberg;
- Western Montana Growers Cooperative- Increase the viability of market for produce farmers in western Montana, Ronan;
- On Thyme Gourmet Inc.- Consultant services for market development, Bridger;
- Air Designs Inc. - consultant services for business plan development and market research, Scobey;
- Great Northern Growers Cooperative. - Feasibility study and market research for value-added producer grown products, Sunburst; and
- Alternative Energy Resource Organization - Assistance for setting up a conference for the Montana Organic Association; Helena.
Montana agricultural producers and industry representatives serve on the Agriculture Development Council. Members are: Earl Bricker of Moore, chair; Cathy Cottom of Dillon, vice-chair; John Franklin of Sidney; Robert Hanson of White Sulphur Springs; Larry Barber of Coffee Creek; Ralph Peck, director of the Montana Department of Agriculture; and Mark Simonich, director of the Montana Department of Commerce.
The next deadline for project applications to the Montana Growth Through Agriculture program is July 31, 2004. The council will make award decisions for the next round of project applications at its meeting in late August.
For more information and application materials, contact Matt McKamey, Growth Through Agriculture Program Manager at the Montana Department of Agriculture, at (406) 444-2402 or by e-mail at agr@mt.gov.
