Within a 20-minute drive from Hedrick is Cargill’s pork processing facility at Ottumwa, where another $25-million-plus project was recently completed to significantly increase bacon production. Combined, these two projects represent an investment of nearly $60 million in the region by Cargill Pork.
“This is a great day for Hedrick and Ottumwa, the farmers who supply us hogs for pork, Cargill and our employees,” said Jane Fallon, Cargill Pork general manager. “It’s always exciting to see the investments we make turn into long-term job creation. These projects represent our commitment to the state’s agricultural economy, and illustrate our long heritage for helping communities and farmers to thrive while enhancing our ongoing efforts to provide high-quality protein to nourish millions of Americans and consumers around the world.”
The feed mill will load and unload approximately 100 trucks daily, one every 10 minutes, annually converting about six million bushels of locally grown corn to feed for farms in a radius from the mill that averages 35 miles. Building the feed mill required 12,500-square-yards of concrete, 340 tons of steel rebar in the mill structure alone, and during most of the construction averaged 75 workers to complete the job with a near-perfect safety record.
“We are proud about the feed mill we built here, and want to show off the facility that will serve the region for many decades to come,” said Fallon. “Cargill was founded in Iowa 150 years ago, and we look forward to our next 150 years of helping communities thrive and contributing to the state’s vibrant agricultural economy.”
