The USDA announced that it has awarded an additional $83 million under the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP), with this round going to 17 projects in 12 states: California, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, and Washington.
To date, USDA has invested $251 million in 57 projects across 29 states through FPEP. The Biden administration committed up to $900 million through the Commodity Credit Corp. for FPEP.
New
recipients include:
4420 Serrano Drive LLC, Jurupa Valley, Calif. – $25.4 million. The company, a
subsidiary of PreZero US Inc., will utilize black soldier flies to recycle food
waste into organic nutrient fertilizer. Annual capacity is expected to be 11,400
st, which will supply roughly 87 producers in the region.
Corigin Solutions Inc., Merced, Calif. – $2.8 million. An existing facility that converts agricultural waste into regenerative crop inputs will be expanded to yield 14,400 st/y and remove 21,600 st/y of CO2 pollution.
Gemperle Brothers dba Gemperle Family Farms, Turlock, Calif. – $4 million. Funds will be used to construct and equip a 38,100 square foot chicken litter pellet fertilizer facility that will serve about 100 producers, with plans to produce 50,000 st within the first two years of operation.
Cog Marketers Ltd. dba as AgroLiquid, Lake City, Fla. – $4 million. The money would aid the construction and equipping of a 45,720 square foot manufacturing facility, which is expected to produce 2 million gallons per year of fertilizer components to serve over 200 independent retailers in the region.
Simonpietri Enterprises LLC, Kapolei, Hawaii – $4 million. The project entails construction and equipping a biochar manufacturing facility to produce an organic, nutrient rich fertilizer from wood and green waste gasification, poultry litter, and biodiesel refining. Some 28,800 st/y is expected to be produced and serve nearly 700 producers.
Return LLC, Northwood, Iowa – $3.9 million. A current fertilizer manufacturing facility will be expanded to improve existing compost/fermenting site infrastructure and purchase equipment to transport materials and manufacture the final product.
Interpose Ag LLC, Cameron, Ill. – $2.4 million. Funds will be used to provide financing for construction and equipment purchases for five fertilizer facilities in rural Illinois. The facilities will produce low-salt, potassium phosphate liquid fertilizer for in-season application uses. The project is expected to create 10 new positions and yield 6 million gallons per year of liquid fertilizer, which will be made available to more than 100 local producers.
Sul4r-Plus LLC, Louisville, Ky. – $14.9 million. The money will go to finance construction and equipment for a new fertilizer facility in rural Illinois. The company upcycles synthetic gypsum, which is a waste from coal-fired plants, into an organic binder nutrient. The project is expected to create 50 new positions and yield 100,000 st/y that will be made available to more than 80 local producers.
Aquatic Agriculture Inc., Ill. – $2 million. Funds will provide financing for equipment and working capital for a mobile fertilizer processing and baling operation in rural Illinois. The project will bale and package chicken litter into producer-ready product with an extended shelf life. Operated by Green Harvest Solutions, the project will help deliver a high content, low impact fertilizer amendment to producers throughout the Midwest. Some 173,250 st/y of production is anticipated, which would serve roughly 200,000 acres.
Patriot Acres LLC, Des Plaines, Ill. – $1.6 million. The money would assist in the construction and equipping of a 45,720 square foot organic recycling and processing facility. Landscape waste, food waste, and organic discard would be made into a high-quality compost and liquid soil additive called Terreplenish. The project is expected to produce enough fertilizer to serve 253,000 acres and serve over 1,800 producers.
Mid-Kansas Cooperative Association, Canton, Kan. – $2.4 million. Funds would provide financing for the construction and equipping of a new replacement facility in Canton, Kan. The new facility would provide more efficient access to customers and support a production of 3,000 st/y of liquid fertilizer, which will be made available to 250 local producers. The project is expected to create eight additional positions.
Soil Carbon
Partners Inc., Pike County, Ky. – $2.4 million. The project entails financing
for the construction and equipping of a new mixing, packaging, and storage
operation for soil recharging fertilizer amendment material. It expects a yield
of 780,000 st/y of fertilizer material that will be made available to 384
producers. Additional positions are expected to be created.
Sustane Natural Fertilizer Inc., Cannon Falls, Minn. – $2.4 million. Funds
would enhance and expand this family-owned, natural fertilizer manufacturing facility
and purchase new equipment to increase production.
Poulterra Inc., Maxton, N.C. – $2.9 million. The company would build a facility to produce fertilizer from poultry litter.
Ray Farmers Union Elevator Co., Ray, N.D. – $1.5 million. A new addition to an existing facility would increase dry fertilizer capacity by 7,025 st to a total of 11,425 st. The venture would benefit new and existing customers in Williams, Divide, Mountrail, Burke, and McKenzie counties and improve fertilizer supply logistics.
Chapul LLC, Salt Lake City, Utah – $4 million. Two new facilities would be constructed in North Dakota and Oregon. Black soldier flies would be used to consume organic material and produce a mixture of nutrient rich soil amendment or frass. The project anticipates 10,000 st/y of production at each location and will create 59 new positions.
Tidal Vision
Products Inc., Raymond, Wash. – $2.3 million.The company would expand a
fertilizer manufacturing facility in Raymond, Wash., and build a new one in
Orange, Texas. Funds would be used to purchase
and install new processing equipment at both facilities, finance design costs, and
provide working capital. The company produces liquid fertilizers.