Making Investments to Add Value to Your Farming Operation
In today’s environment, we are challenged with issues concerning our supply chain, available labor, trucking and distribution, quality control, and safe food supply to the consumer. It appears that most of these issues are not just temporary situations but new challenges facing our economy and world. These concerns are real and are changing how we need to do business.
United Cooperative is investing in the future for our patrons and the agriculture community. United Cooperative’s three-phase expansion project in Waupun, Wis. will create state-of-the-art feed manufacturing capabilities, marketing opportunities, and technology advancements to meet the demands of Wisconsin’s agricultural landscape. United’s three-phase project will include a state-of-the-art feed manufacturing facility, grain storage and drying facility, and a soybean crushing facility.
Construction of this new state-of-the-art-feed manufacturing facility began in July of 2022, with an estimated completion date in 2024. This new mill will have capabilities that include high-speed truck and rail loading and unloading of ingredients, high-speed roller grinders, pelleting, steam flaking of corn, micro ingredient system, robotic bagging system, both bagged and bulk texturized calf feeds, and custom manufacturing of minerals. This facility will be managed and operated by a computerized control system for quality control and traceability.
When this new facility comes online, we will receive and unload up to 25 rail cars of feed ingredients at one time and manufacture a semi-load of protein supplement in 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the number of ingredients in the mix. We will be able to process approximately 60 tons of corn and other ingredients per hour. With these capacities, we will be more labor efficient in manufacturing and unloading ingredients. This new facility will hold approximately 8,800 tons of bulk feed ingredients and have about 40,000 sq ft of warehouse storage.
In addition to the feed manufacturing facility, the Waupun site will become home to a state-of-the-art soybean crushing and processing facility. The soy crushing facility construction will begin in 2023, with projected completion in 2025. This facility will add value to locally grown soybeans and will save transportation costs for our feed customers.
United Cooperative owns and operates seven feed mills in Wisconsin and serves feed customers in a six-state area.
progress as of 10/12/22
