CHS is beginning construction in July on a new state-of-the-art grain facility at Erskine, Minnesota. The final project has an estimated completion date of soybean harvest in 2023. Once completed, there will be 1.25 million bushels of additional storage. “There will be significantly improved unloading and loading equipment. We’ll also add another dryer,” says Rick Dusek, executive vice president of country operations, CHS. “It will actually connect with the old facility, increase our in-bound speed and shuttle loading speed. When we load a train, it will take about half the time.” With a shift toward more corn and fewer wheat acres the area, Dusek says it’s been a struggle for the Erskine CHS facility to keep up with the grain coming off the field at harvest. It’s also been difficult for the location to take in more than one commodity at a time. “This should allow us to handle different grades of wheat, better segregation when wheat and soybean harvest come together.” Vigen Construction in East Grand Forks will oversee the construction.
