Frenchman Valley Coop Building Flat Storage Facility

A huge project is in the works at the Kimball Frenchman Valley Coop on the north side of the railroad tracks. From a distance, a crane is visible but up close the boot pit is visible.

Previously, corn had been stored on the ground to the east of the scale at Frenchman Valley Coop. Corn will still be stored in that location, but the corn will now be housed in a flat storage facility.

The Kimball flat storage facility completion date is Oct. 1 and it has been a year in the planning and construction phase. According to Grain Operation Manager Joe Wollenhaupt from Imperial, it will hold 2 million bushels of corn. The facility is 372 feet long and 180 feet wide with 18 foot sidewalls.

Frenchman Valley Coop just completed a similar project in Chappell. They have gone to flat storage facilities due to the cost of concrete. A concrete elevator would cost two to three times more than the flat storage facilities. So the corn can be stored for less money and flat storage creates more space for the price. The corn will be off the ground and Frenchman Valley will be able to carry the grain for a longer period of time and the quality will be better to sell.

Wollenhaupt did not provide a cost of the facility but said it is a "significant investment."

He continued, "We are excited to get it done." They are planning an open house for when it is completed.