Construction projects at Federated’s Ogilvie facilities will improve the co-op’s ability to serve growers and streamline workflow for co-op employees.

The tower and [fertilizer] blender are being improved and automated. Old-school buttons and switches long used to control the tower are being replaced with a computer monitor and mouse. “The new system will be able to accept work orders from our new software so they will flow to the blender with one click,” said Scott Nelson, Federated’s director of agronomy. The system will improve efficiency and accuracy by eliminating manual entry.

Additionally, the impregnation system is being upgraded. “Currently someone has to walk to the chem shed, manually put chemical into the tower, then walk back to the blending office,” said Nelson. “By automating that process, the computer will tell the system how much chemical is needed and will dispense that chemical when necessary,” he added.

This is an exciting step toward “more efficiency, more accuracy, and more throughput,” said Nelson. Growers can expect to see the benefits in the coming growing season.

The other construction project at Ogilvie adds a second story to the blending office and chemical storage building, which will allow the tower operator to work more efficiently. Additional chemical storage space will maximize Federated’s ability to store more chemicals on site – a huge plus with today’s supply chain challenges.

Contact your Federated Agronomist to learn more about Federated fertilizer options.