$2 Million Available To Fund Minnesota Ag Research

Sep 22, 2015

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) announces $2 million available to applicants for applied crop research grants. Research needs to focus on improving agricultural product quality, quantity and value. Projects must benefit Minnesota farmers and the state’s economy in the next three to five years. Maximum grant awards are $250,000 per project, which can last up to three years.

Any Minnesota organization, research entity, individual, or business with agricultural research capability is eligible and encouraged to apply to receive funding. This includes: farmers/farmer networks, institutions of higher education, research institutions, nonprofit organizations, agricultural cooperatives, and agricultural businesses with research capabilities.

Applications must be received by 4 p.m. Nov. 20 and can be submitted by mail, email, or in person to the MDA. The application and grant details are online: www.mda.state.mn.us/. You can also apply for the 2016 grants online.

Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.