Caledonia, N.Y. — Fertilizer has been ruled out as the cause of a fire early this month that destroyed the main building of major agriculture supplier Commodity Resource Corp., but the result could be a shortage in parts of western New York. According to industry officials, the fire could cause farmers to drive farther to get the fertilizer and grain they need. Dean Norton, president of New York Farm Bureau, told Green Markets that the fire at the Land O’ Lakes plant is a significant loss to the agricultural community in western New York. “It will likely cause sourcing issues for our farmers who need feed and fertilizer, and may ultimately drive up transportation costs in the short term for growers who must travel farther for supplies. However, consumers should not see any increase in prices at the store because of the fire. We hope that the company can quickly assess the damage and get on with rebuilding this important facility.” The fire occurred on the Nov. 1-2 weekend. Two dozen fire companies from surrounding communities responded. Authorities reported the cause as spontaneous combustion in a grain bin, which turned out to be an asset as the grain absorbed the water from the firefighters.
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