Ag Company Building Fertilizer Plant in Newton County
The fertilizer products will be made in Fair Oaks
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowWisconsin-based Midwestern BioAg has plans to manufacture new fertilizer products at a facility in Fair Oaks. The company says the more than $15 million manufacturing plant at Fair Oaks Farms will employ 15 workers by mid-April.
Midwestern BioAg has developed a manufacturing process, known as TerraNu Nutrient Technology, which transforms manure into a uniform, dry fertilizer granule that it says can be efficiently stored, transported and spread. The company says the fertilizers created through this process will deliver agricultural nutrients, including micronutrients to farms, building soil health to increase yields and quality.
"This helps close the nutrient gap in farming," said Tony Michaels, chief executive officer of Midwestern BioAg. "A typical American farm once had both crops and livestock. Today, with necessary specialization, there is a disconnect. The crops are in one place, the cows in another, and many farms miss out on the benefits of manure. We can fix that."
Production is expected to begin in March. The company says it chose to locate the new facility at Fair Oaks Farms because of the farm’s efforts to maximize nutrient-use efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
"We don’t want anything go to waste," said Mike McCloskey, co-founder of Fair Oaks Farms. "Our manure powers parts of the farm, runs a fleet of trucks and feeds many of our own crops. Now, it can provide essential nutrients for other farms. Midwestern BioAg is building on our earlier work."
Midwestern BioAg says it plans to begin selling three new fertilizer products this spring, focusing on farms and retailers located within 100 miles of the Fair Oaks facility.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story stated the facility was being built in Jasper County.