Wisconsin’s $700M soybean plant could reshape Midwest farming

Wisconsin’s $700M soybean plant could reshape Midwest farming

Wisconsin is getting a major new soybean processing facility, with CHS planning to invest approximately $700 million near Evansville. The project could create a new outlet for soybeans grown across the region.

Construction is beginning, with the facility targeted for completion in fall 2028. The scale of the investment makes it one of the state’s notable recent agricultural developments.

The new facility will process millions of bushels

Once operational, the Evansville plant will be able to process 80 million bushels of U.S.-grown soybeans each year. That gives CHS significantly more capacity to handle the crop.

The facility is expected to produce about 1 billion pounds of oil and 2 million tons of soybean meal annually. Those products can serve food, feed, and renewable fuel markets.

Wisconsin farmers could gain another nearby market

The project is designed to increase soybean processing capacity in southern Wisconsin, an area with substantial soybean production. That could give regional growers another place to sell their crops.

Wisconsin Soybean Association President Doug Rebout said additional processing capacity would provide growers with another reliable market close to their farms. The plant is expected to create opportunities in both soybean meal and oil.

Evansville’s location gives the project a key advantage

The facility will be located near soybean production in southern Wisconsin. Its position could help connect growers with additional processing capacity without moving crops as far to reach a major facility.

CHS also pointed to Evansville’s access to rail service and major transportation corridors. Those connections are expected to help move soybean meal and oil to domestic and global markets.

Livestock producers could benefit from more soybean meal

The Evansville region has a significant demand for soybean meal from livestock producers. The new plant is expected to produce about 2 million tons of meal every year.

That production could strengthen the regional agricultural supply chain by adding processing capacity closer to farms and livestock operations. It will also give CHS another source of soybean meal for domestic markets.

Little-known fact: Soybean meal is widely used as a protein source in feed for animals, including chickens, cattle, horses, sheep, and fish.

Construction will bring a temporary workforce surge

Building the Evansville facility is expected to take 24 to 30 months. CHS projects an average construction workforce of about 250 contractors and skilled laborers during that period.

At peak construction, as many as 400 people could be working on the project. That temporary workforce is separate from the approximately 80 permanent employees expected to operate the facility after it opens.

Wisconsin officials see agriculture as a key part of the project

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said the state’s agriculture and food processing industries remain important to its economy. His administration is supporting CHS as it expands soybean processing in Wisconsin.

The governor also highlighted the potential for permanent jobs and stronger support for farmers. The facility is expected to connect Wisconsin agricultural production with markets beyond the state.

CHS will expand its soybean processing network

The Evansville facility will expand CHS’s existing oilseed network, which already includes soybean processing plants in Fairmont and Mankato, Minnesota. Adding the Wisconsin site will broaden the company’s regional processing footprint across the Upper Midwest.

CHS says its Fairmont and Mankato plants currently process about 119 million bushels of soybeans annually. When Evansville begins operations, the company expects its total soybean processing capacity to increase by more than two-thirds.

Soybean oil will have a major fuel connection

The plant’s soybean oil is expected to serve both the renewable fuel markets and the CHS refinery in Mankato, Minnesota. CHS says growing demand for domestic feedstocks used in renewable fuels is helping drive additional soybean processing capacity.

That connection links the Evansville plant with CHS’s existing refining operations in Minnesota. It also gives the facility an outlet for soybean oil beyond traditional food markets.

The plant is designed for heavy crop movement

The facility will be built to handle soybeans on a large scale. CHS says it will be capable of processing about 234,000 bushels per day once fully operational.

Its unloading system is designed to handle up to 40 trucks per hour and 1,000 trucks per day. Those figures show the amount of transportation infrastructure required to keep a plant of this size supplied.

Evansville won out after a wider Midwest search

CHS did not choose Evansville without comparing other options. The company says the site was selected after internal and third-party evaluations of numerous potential locations across the Midwest.

Factors included the local soybean supply, demand for meal from livestock producers, access to cooperatives, and transportation by rail, river, and road. Together, those features helped southern Wisconsin stand out for the project.

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