It announced the purchase of the former Sparboe Companies egg farm along U.S. Highway 169 in August. In September, it was taking delivery of newly harvested soybeans there.

In the coming year, Landus plans to also offer fertilizer, anhydrous ammonia and fertilizer at that location.

“So far, it’s been fantastic,” said. Tyler Schultes, director of sales for the western half of the Landus territory.

The new facility and the increased presence it gives Landus in Webster County have been well-received by farmers, he said.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
These grain storage bins are part of the Landus facility north of Fort Dodge along U.S. Highway 169. Landus bought the site in August and began taking grain there during the last harvest.

“We had a booth at the Farm News Ag Show,” he said. “It was fantastic the number of people we had come in.”

The 148-acre site is located between Fort Dodge, Humboldt, Badger and Clare.

“The decision to invest here was driven entirely by feedback from the farmers in that region who have been demanding more,” Matt Carstens, president and chief executive officer of Landus, said when the purchase was announced on Aug. 3.

“We started, first and foremost, by taking grain this fall,” Schultes said.

He said there was a feed mill left on the site from its egg farm days. Millwrights from Landus checked it over and prepared the grain bins for receiving the 2023 harvest. The first loads of soybeans came in on Sept. 23. Only soybeans were accepted there this year.

Schultes said a building at the west end of the property is being renovated so that farmers can pull their trucks in and get them loaded with fertilizer and other chemicals.

Two 30,000-gallon tanks have been brought to the site to enable anhydrous ammonia to be dispensed. That service is expected to be available in the fall of 2024.

Two Landus employees are regularly assigned there, and workers from other company facilities come in to help as needed. Schultes said two more employees will be added at the site.

Landus is accepting grain at the site and is also taking agronomy orders for the 2024 growing season, he said.

Landus, based in Des Moines, already had two facilities in Gowrie. Other locations in the area are in Early, Emmetsburg, Farnhamville, Lake City, Rockwell City and Sac City.