University of Minnesota, Morris
IN-4: Innovation 4

Innovative partnership with the West Central Research and Outreach Center to develop renewable energy solutions. The University of Minnesota's West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC) is located in Morris, Minnesota. The WCROC is part of the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, and is celebrating its 100-year anniversary in 2010 -- providing a tradition of excellence in applied agricultural research and education for farmers and rural communities in crop production, animal sciences, horticulture, water quality, organic dairy, and renewable energy. As a center designed for the dissemination of knowledge, the WCROC makes itself relevant to west central Minnesota through research. The WCROC began as an agricultural experiment station. Agriculture has remained the core of our research efforts, particularly dairy science, swine science, forages, agricultural economics, and horticulture. In recent years, we have expanded our work into studies of environmental quality and renewable energy. The WCROC's faculty and staff work with farmers, rural leaders, faculty from throughout the University of Minnesota system, other professionals from industry and academia, and citizens to provide research and educational programming. Working with these many partners is our greatest strength. These partnerships keep us connected to the varied and changing needs of the producers and citizens of Minnesota. For the past several years, WCROC has been partnered with the University of Minnesota, Morris (Morris) to develop a biomass gasification system that has been installed on campus. Together, we have worked with UMM to develop a “biomass toolbox” that will assist other communities that are contemplating biomass as a potential alternative energy feedstock. This collaboration has included exploring various cropping methods and a range of biomass feedstocks (corn stover, wood chips, mixed prairie grasses) and their operational characteristics in a biomass gasification facility.