The University of Tennessee's Agricultural Development Center has received a $10,000 grant from the sale of state agriculture license plates.

The grant will fund the center's study of the market potential and market channels for composted animal manure.

The check was presented to Ray Humberd, associate dean of the UT Agricultural Extension Service by Dan Wheeler, state commissioner of agriculture.

For each Ag Tag sold, $21 goes into the state's Agricultural Development Fund, which awards money to agriculture-related organizations across the state. So far, a total of $257,000 has been awarded for a range of projects across the state.

In addition to the Agricultural Development Center's grant for value-added livestock waste, the fund has awarded money to 4-H clubs, rural development initiatives, the Tennessee Beekeepers Association and the Tennessee Council of Cooperatives.

Sales of the Ag Tag continue to escalate, Wheeler said. "There are currently more than 10,000 Ag Tags on the road. As Tennesseans continue to buy and renew Ag Tags, more dollars go into the Agricultural Development Fund."