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FARGO, N.D. 鈥� From the days of the Bonanza farms in the 1800s to the new Grand Farm Innovation Campus of today, the Red River Valley and the region around it have always blazed a trail in the ag industry. Now, over 100 companies are coming together to promote the region鈥檚 ag industry and make it a global epicenter for ag technology and innovation with the birth of the .

The Ag Innovation Corridor will work on bringing attention to the region and all that it has to offer in the industry of agriculture. Their hopeful end result? Attracting new ag businesses, existing companies expanding to the area, relocating ag businesses or start-ups.

鈥淣aturally, we had three goals there. One, we need to look at those companies, try to get them to locate here. Start up companies here, try to get some investment, whether it be partnerships or people, investing in companies. And the last is to attract a workforce, to let them know that all these companies are here, and we have jobs and we have an education for you if you want to relocate here,鈥� said Roger Reierson, Flint Group executive chairman.

The Thursday, June 6, announcement of the branding of the Ag Innovation Corridor comes just ahead of Ag Tech Week in Fargo 鈥� a week of events and activities surrounding the agriculture technology activity happening in the area. The week kicks off on Monday, June 10, with the grand opening of the Grand Farm Innovation Center.

Reierson recalled hearing a comparison of the region鈥檚 ag industry to the illustrious Silicon Valley.

鈥淥ur area here, in agriculture, is very parallel to what happened in Silicon Valley,鈥� Reierson recalled Barry Batcheller saying. 鈥淗e said we should be the Silicon Valley of agriculture.鈥�

In a statement, Batcheller, a local entrepreneur, and founder of Appareo Systems, commented on the Corridor's future in ag innovation.

鈥淭he culture and accomplishments in the agricultural arena for this area has an amazing history, but what is happening here today is an explosion of ideas that will have a substantial impact on ag and food production,鈥� he said.

The companies cover a lot of ground, from educational programs like 4-H and FFA to companies involved in the financial sector, food, livestock, processing, manufacturing, marketing, agronomy, technology, equipment, real estate and insurance to government officials and ag commodity groups.

The announcement of the Ag Innovation Corridor is also a big win for North Dakota State University, as it is the only land grant university in the state.

鈥淚t really means we're going to shine a spotlight on this region and bring additional visibility to all of the things that are happening here already. But I think for our current students and our future students, it really brings an additional level of visibility to all of the things that are happening, not only at NDSU, but across the region,鈥� said Greg Lardy, NDSU vice president of agriculture.