Since late 1997 the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has assisted over a dozen new cooperatives (most with fewer than 50 members) in establishing cooperatives that add value to their agricultural commodity by processing and marketing activities. Grants of up to $50,000 (25% match required) per co-op are available to investigate opportunities in adding value to the commodities produced by the cooperative. Eligible activities covered by the grant moneys include: 1) Technical assistance in the formation of value-added agriculture cooperatives. 2) Market research identifying the market potential and market trends for the proposed value-added product. 3) Technical product design, development, and market testing assistance to establish the feasibility and viability of specific value-added products. 4) Assistance in the development of business plans. 5) Assistance for the pre-design of facilities.