A Forest River, N.D., company might start producing specialty donor pigs to help sustain critically ill liver patients.
The North Dakota Agricultural Products Utilization Commission has awarded $46,000 to Lifeline Farms LLP for permitting, site engineering and a business plan.
Lifeline Farms plans to produce a 30-pound pig of "high health" industry status for use by Excorp Medical, Minneapolis, in the company's development of a medical system that will sustain patients who are critically ill with acute liver disease or liver failure.
Under the proposal, the livers of 30-pound pigs would be harvested and utilized in a medical system developed by Excorp to sustain patients while awaiting transport organ or regrowth of the liver tissue.
The APUC funds will be used by Lifeline Farms to identify the genetics, develop protocols, serological testing, legal assistance, create marketing presentations and define the method of raising the high health pigs. The money also would assist in engineering and development of the farm site before construction.
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The business is a partnership between Craig Jarolimek, Forest River, and David Newman, Wolverton, Minn. Jarolimek said Wednesday it is too early to comment on the project.
Excorp Medical has developed a patented bioreactor device that uses liver cells from specially bred pigs to detoxify the blood of patients suffering from liver disease, according to information on the company Web site.
The system, which is designed for use in hospitals, will treat patients until their own livers recover or until liver transplant donors are found.
The grant to Lifeline Farms is one of six -- totaling $133,525 -- that the APUC approved at a recent quarterly meeting in Carrington, N.D.
The APUC is a program of the North Dakota Department of Commerce that administers grant programs for researching and developing new and expanded uses for state agricultural products. The grants can be used for basic and applied research, marketing and cooperative marketing utilization, farm diversification, nature-based agri-tourism, technology, agricultural prototype and technical assistance.
Other APUC awards went to:
- WISEnterprises, Tioga, N.D., $8,400 for prototype development of the Waterspike, an automatic water conserving root feeding system that also promotes plant growth.
- ComPAK Co LLC, Fargo, $26,000 to build the JMF200 ComPAKer, a machine that intakes biomass and produces "PAK's." These PAK's are end-user friendly and used to create a variety of products.
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- NDSU Department of Cereal & Food Services, Fargo, $25,000 to evaluate the effects of fibers from flaxseed, peas, soybean and oats on frozen dough stability and baked bread quality over a 20- to 30-week frozen storage. Upon completion of the project, SunOpta will commercialize the fiber for application in frozen dough.
- Red Trail Vineyards, Buffalo, N.D., a Nature Based Agri-Tourism Grant for $13,125 to sponsor tours for those interested in growing grapes and starting a vineyard for the production of wine.
- Marketplace of Ideas, $15,000 for Marketplace 2009.
Reach Bonham at (701) 780-1110; (800) 477-6572, ext. 110; or send e-mail to kbonham@gfherald.com .
