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Soy Innovation Center passes legislative hurdle

Legislation needed to fund a soybean crush and biodiesel facility in northwest Minnesota is moving forward.

Minnesota Soybean Growers executive director Joe Smentek says a bill passed by the Senate Finance Committee would provide $5- million dollars to the proposed Soy Innovation Campus in Crookston.

“An idea that’s this good and will help lower the basis and help bring economic development to that part of the state, help reinvigorate a biofuels program at the University of Minnesota-Crookston. It has so many positives and we hope it comes to fruition in the end.”

The bill authored by Senator Torrey Westrom of Elbow Lake now moves to a joint Senate and House Conference Committee for consideration.

If it lands on the desk of Governor Walz, Smentek tells Brownfield he’s optimistic about a signature.

“We had a chance to sit down with Governor Walz when he was candidate Walz and talked with him about this idea in having a private/public partnership that tied in the University, and he thought this was a fantastic idea. So we hope he’s still on board.”

Smentek says once the facility is fully operational, it will increase the price of soybeans in northwest Minnesota by an estimated 10 to 20 cents per-bushel.