FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA, US — The Northern Crops Institute (NCI) will have three times the space to house laboratories to study soy, protein and fermentation when it moves next summer to the Peltier Complex, a 160,000-square-foot, three-story agricultural academic facility under construction at the southwest corner of the North Dakota State University (NDSU) campus.

The NCI, an international meeting and learning center that works to develop, promote and market crops grown in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana, said its new home at Peltier will “open opportunities and markets for crop and livestock production, food systems and the development of new agricultural products.”

In addition to the vastly larger trio of research laboratories for soy, protein, and fermentation, NCI at Peltier will feature an upgraded pilot-scale mill room, plus food-grade labs for pasta and baking. In preparation for its cross-campus shift, NCI has posted instructions for bidding on its unneeded milling equipment such as an open mouth bag auger, single rotor mixer, grain tempering system, a sifter and a pneumatic/air make-up system.

The Peltier complex bears name of a prominent North Dakota family of NDSU supporters with a long history of supporting education, research and extension in the Peace Garden State. The Peltier family’s philanthropic gifts supported the private fundraising portion of the project, which was a joint effort with the North Dakota Legislature.

The Institute will share the Peltier Complex with three University departments — food science, meat science and cereal science — as well as the North Dakota Trade Office (NDTO) and the North Dakota bureau of the US Department of Agriculture. The NDTO is a private-public partnership whose mission is to provide education, research, engagement, advocacy, and expertise with the aim of helping North Dakota companies develop export contacts around the world. The complex plans spaces for collaboration between the different organizations and programs, including shared meeting spaces, huddle rooms, offices, workspaces, a sensory kitchen and a dining space.