Fargo, N.D., USA -- Northern Crops Institute (NCI) received a Buhler MLU-202 laboratory flour mill from the North Dakota State Mill and Elevator Association, Grand Forks, N.D. The mill has been refurbished with new rolls, bearings and sieves, thanks in part to funding from the State of South Dakota and regional wheat commissions. The mill will be used in NCI’s processing laboratories.
The laboratory mill is particularly important to NCI because it is a model that is used around the world, says NCI Director Pat Berglund. International millers and grain processors come to NCI to learn more about the crops raised in this region. It is important that they can use equipment during NCI short courses that is identical to that in their own laboratories and mills.
The MLU-202 laboratory mill is used to mill small to medium-sized (2 to 50 lb.) samples of hard red and hard white spring and winter wheat into high quality flour that can be used to further evaluate the wheat’s bread making properties, says Brian Sorenson, NCI Technical Director. As we expand our technical capabilities, we can better serve NCI’s mission to educate overseas and domestic processors on the quality of the crops grown in our four-state region. Having this laboratory mill gives us another tool that we can use to serve agriculture in our region, he concludes.
NCI provides educational and technical programs and services to expand domestic and international markets for northern-grown U.S. crops. It serves as a resource center for international buyers, trade teams, and processors seeking technical information on northern-grown crops such as current crop quality, unique characteristics of northern-grown crops, grain procurement strategies for these crops, product and process development, and value-added processing.
NCI specializes in baking, extrusion, crop quality, durum milling, feed manufacturing, malting and brewing, and pasta manufacturing in a confidential atmosphere. The Institute is funded by the states of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, and commodity groups in those states and Montana.
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