Beef and dairy producers throughout Idaho may soon be receiving steamflaked corn and calf grains from a newly expanded feed facility in the state. Scoular, a global agribusiness company based out of Nebraska, recently completed a $20 million expansion of its state-of-the-art feed blending facility located in Jerome, Idaho.
According to the company, the expansion adds a 120-feet high concrete feed mill, boosting the facility’s production capacity by 35% and delivers a 40% increase in storage capacity.
“Scoular’s mission is to deliver safe, reliable and innovative solutions to our feed and food customers around the world,” Scoular CEO, Paul Maass, said in a company. “This new investment is a perfect example of meeting our customers’ demands and bringing forward the ideal solutions. We are thrilled to continue to make growth investments in this important region and industry.”
Updates to the facility will help provide two new capabilities, including:
- A steamflaking process that processes corn and barley into flakes and makes the feed more digestible for cattle. The corn is steamed, heated, then pressed into a flake.
- A pellet mill to make feed pellets. Pellets are easy to transfer, handle and proportion for optimal nutrition. Feed pellets are typically used for feeding calves and beef cattle.
“The expansion shows Scoular’s customer-focused approach,” said Jeff Ackerman of Bettencourt Dairies. “Scoular is helping us provide the right nutritional profile to the animal at the right time. Tailor-made feed blends are essential.”
As the dairy sector continues to grow in the state, this expansion will provide both beef and dairy producers with an additional resource for purchasing feed.
“To see a company like Scoular expand means good news for producers,” added Rick Naerebout, CEO of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association. “It gives producers more options for how they want to handle feed on their farms.”
This expansion not only provides more choices for producers but also reinforces Scoular’s commitment to bolstering the local agricultural community.
“Agriculture drives the Magic Valley’s economy, and Scoular has made it a priority to support the industry through innovation, state-of-the-art facilities and programs that support local producers,” said Andy Hohwieler, a Scoular Regional Manager based in Twin Falls. “With our latest investment, we look forward to creating new feed products that create solutions for end-users.”
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