Dan Dix, NEW Cooperative General Manager

New Dry Fertilizer Facility Progresses in Superior 

 Site preparation began in November, and concrete work was completed in late winter for the new 15,500-ton, 270’ x 88’ dry fertilizer storage and blending facility at our Superior location. Recently crews completed the interior and side walls, finished the roof and began installing the exterior siding. The rail receiving pit will soon be completed and the receiving conveyors and equipment are being installed as they arrive.  

The facility features five internal storage bins ranging from 800 tons to 7,500 tons and receives 400 tons of dry fertilizer per hour off the rail and 250 tons per hour by truck. The project is expected to be finished prior to fall and will greatly improve efficiency and service to our growing customer and member base in northwest Iowa and southern Minnesota. 

Our grain storage expansion project in Osceola, which features a pair of 750,000-bushel concrete silos with 20,000-bushel-per-hour grain receiving capacity, is progressing nicely and will be completed by this fall. Recently the concrete roofs of each silo were completed and the steel support structure that holds the grain leg, distributor and scalper was installed. Conveyors are now being installed on top of the complex and work has started on the electrical control room. The concrete pad for the corn dryer has been poured and the dryer is scheduled to be moved into place mid-June.

Due to outstanding member support, significant growth in grain volumes and its importance in how NEW Cooperative markets grain in our Southern District, Osceola is a very key market outlet for our eight facilities in that area. Most of the corn is shipped out by rail and Osceola is undersized for the grain volumes put through it today. These facility upgrades will make this location a long-term rail market outlet for your grain.

Additional capital projects include liquid fertilizer storage in Emmetsburg, a new office and inbound scale in Red Oak, and several locations are adding anhydrous ammonia storage capacity. We look forward to sharing updates about these projects with you soon. 

Thank you to our customers and members for your continued support of NEW Cooperative! 

All pre-plant application claims (fall and spring) must be reported to NEW Cooperative BEFORE June 15th. 

Thank you for your business this spring and for your strong support of NEW Cooperative over the past 50+ years. Your continued support provides NEW Cooperative with the confidence needed to continue investing in strategic projects that enhance your operations.

Progress continues on several construction projects across our trade territory, including dry fertilizer storage in Superior, liquid fertilizer storage in Emmetsburg, a new office and inbound scale in Red Oak, and grain storage and receiving upgrades in Osceola. In addition, several locations are adding anhydrous ammonia storage capacity to help ensure product availability when you need it most.

Agriculture continues to face financial pressures surrounding input and energy costs, not to mention transportation challenges, much of it driven by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and its impact on global shipping markets. These conditions will require all of us to communicate more closely than ever this summer to help ensure the fertilizer and crop inputs you need this fall are available when and where needed. NEW Cooperative has already begun working proactively with suppliers and logistics partners to help minimize market risk and position your operation as effectively as possible for the upcoming fall fertilizer season.

Communicating regularly with your local agronomist over the next three months will provide the best opportunity for both NEW Cooperative and your operation to remain properly positioned as we navigate these challenging times together.

It has been exciting to see the rapid growth in users of the NEW Gateway app as we have surpassed 5,500 users — more than doubling the number of users from our previous app. Additional functionality is also coming soon, including the ability to view your farms and fields, as well as receive notifications through the app regarding field activities completed by NEW on your operation.

Moving forward, the NEW Gateway app will serve as the primary source for sharing news, industry updates, challenges, opportunities, and other important information with our members. NEW Gateway is replacing our printed quarterly newsletter, allowing us to provide more timely, up-to-date communication directly with you. 

Also available now within the app is the new “News Link,” which connects you to additional company updates, project progress, announcements, and other happenings across NEW Cooperative.

Lastly, don’t forget to take advantage of the new built-in convenience and simplicity of prepaying inputs or paying your statements through the app. Adoption of this feature continues to grow rapidly.

Once again, we are grateful for your business and appreciate your support!