Feed Mill

CLIENT
Farm Service Elevator Co.

Farm Service Elevator Co.’s feed mill is producing higher quality feed at reduced operating costs, due to innovative ideas and technology incorporated in the design and construction of the facility.

The company had been operating out of a plant it bought from General Mills in 1954 which had no ability to produce pelleted feeds, the major product to be produced in the new mill. The new mill produces 1,000 tons of turkey feed per day, in addition to some swine and chicken feed.

The facility is a slipformed, reinforced concrete structure, rising 144 feet above the ground, with an 18-foot area beneath the ground which houses the mixer, pellet cooler, and liquid tanks.

The mill has a 5-ton mixer having a production capacity of 60 tons per hour. It has a complete cleanout feature with a drop-bottom gate. Three scales measure ingredients being dumped into the mixer. The large scale has a 10,000-lb. capacity; the two smaller scales have 1,000- and 200-lb. capacities.

The mill has a completely automated control system, which controls receiving, routing, batching and pelleting.

Four high-efficiency dust collection systems are located throughout the mill, and collectors are also installed at the dump truck and rail receiving locations to capture grain dust. Explosion vents are located on the wall facing the outside of the concrete-enclosed elevator leg area.

The plant’s mill operator estimated the new facility would save Farm Service Elevator Co. approximately $100,000 in its first year of production.