SIOUX CENTER, IOWA, US — Farmers Coop Society (FCS) plans to build a new grain elevator featuring a 2.5-million-bushel flat storage building nine miles south of Beresford, South Dakota, US.

Construction on the “Union Grove” elevator in southeast South Dakota will begin this month, and the facility will accept soybeans in the fall. The site will feature the flat storage building and an unloading system capable of moving grain at 30,000 bushels per hour, enabling it to scale in, dump and scale out trucks in under five minutes, FCS said.

“We are excited about expanding our operations in South Dakota,” said Tyler Farnham, senior director of grain operation at FCS. “The highlight of this facility will be speed and efficiency. We know that’s a top priority for our customers, and we will deliver on that for them.” 

The location, which is slightly east of Interstate 29 (see map below), was specifically chosen with future expansion in mind. It will allow FCS to further develop the site with plans to accept corn in the next few years. Union Grove will provide FCS grain marketing options, agronomy services and operations, and feed service portfolios. 

Based in Sioux Center, Iowa, US, Farmers Coop Society is a member-owned, full-service cooperative with 10 locations across northwest Iowa and southeast South Dakota. FCS offers agronomy, feed, and grain sales and services and operates the How-to-Building Center in Sioux Center.

“Building this new facility is a reminder of our commitment to our members and communities in this area,” said John McDaniel, chief executive officer, FCS. “We are excited to expand further into southeast South Dakota and continue strengthening our relationships with producers, schools, FFA programs and communities.”