ISU feed, grain complex nears completion
The new Iowa State University Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex is nearing completion in Ames, Iowa, US. Feed milling is expected to start this summer with the grain portion of the facility being ready for fall harvest.
Here’s a look at the $30 million educational and research facility that was possible with financial support and equipment donations from grain and feed industry suppliers, state crop groups and feed manufacturers.
Overall facility
The facility includes an educational building with a classroom, an analytical lab, a warehouse and a pilot feed mill; a 100-foot concrete mill tower; a 40-foot concrete pelleting plant; and 200,000 bushels of grain storage.
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Feed mill and storage
The complex is located on 10 acres of university-owned land in Ames, Iowa, US, that had been the site of crop research, seed operations and crop yield performance trials for more than 50 years.
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Ewing and Maier
A 30-year industry veteran, Anthony Ewing, right, is associate director and operations manager for the facility, and Dirk Maier, left, is director of the complex and professor of grain and feed operations and processing at Iowa State University.
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Steel storage bins
Each bin has a capacity of about 45,000 bushels, with two different aeration systems so comparisons can be made for research purposes.
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Storage from above
In addition to the four storage bins, the facility has one (bottom left) 20,000-bushel bin set up as an in-bin drying system and two 10,000-bushel wet holding bins (middle right).
Credit: ©SOSLAND PUBLISHING CO.
Dryer
The mixed flow dryer was donated by Sukup, based in Sheffield, Iowa, US.
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Central vac system
The facility has a central vacuum system that was donated by Walinga.
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Hammer mill
The 10-tph hammermill was donated by CPM, based in Waterloo, Iowa, US.
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Roller mill
CPM also donated the three-high roller mill, which has a capacity of 10 tph.
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Chiller
CPM, which acquired Bliss Industries in 2021, donated a high-efficiency pellet cooler to the facility.
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Pelleting
The feed mill has parallel conditioning systems including a conditioner with a retentioner that can hold feed at temperature for a longer time and bypass the pellet mill to produce heat treated mash.
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AGI Suretrack
Monitoring systems, donated by AGI SureTrack, are installed throughout the facility.
Credit: ©SOSLAND PUBLISHING CO.
