Grand Forks City Council Hears From Farmer who Toured Agristo’s Overseas Facilities

(KNOX) – Before Grand Forks City Council approved a memorandum of understanding for Belgium-based Agristo to potentially open a potato processing plant in Grand Forks, they heard from local potato farmer Brad Nelson, who just got back from touring Agisto’s facilities overseas.

“Two of the plants we saw. The first morning we were there, we saw their plant in Nazareth, Belgium. It’s where they make their specialty products,” Nelson told council.

Agristo announced earlier this month that they would like to open their first U.S. site in Grand Forks.

Nelson had nothing but nice words to say about what he saw.

“Quite impressive, very large, very clean. Walking in there early in the morning, they run 24/7, absolutely no odor to anything,” Nelson says.

The purpose of the memorandum of understanding is to set the groundwork that leads to a development agreement.

Nelson says the care that workers take is evident by what he saw.

“Going over there, visiting with the people that were working in the plant, you could see it, the pride in what they’re doing,” Nelson says.

The memorandum is the first step in the process for Agristo to possibly locate a plant in Grand Forks.