Worthing grain terminal celebrates grand opening

CHS has officially marked the grand opening of its newly expanded grain terminal in Worthing, SD. With the facility now fully operational, this investment represents a significant step forward in CHS’s commitment to strengthening its grain supply chain, expanding market access and improving efficiency for farmer-owners in the Upper Midwest.

Located just west of Worthing along the Interstate 29 and South Dakota Highway 44 corridor, the new facility features six grain bins standing 140 feet tall, built using the continuous slip-pour method over six days with crews working around the clock. The silos add 1.1 million bushels of permanent storage to the site, bringing the total storage capacity, including existing bunkers, to more than 5 million bushels.

“This is a strategic investment that delivers exactly what our customers need, speed and space,” said Kent Mulder, vice president of operations at CHS. “With the new infrastructure at Worthing, we can receive grain faster, load trains more efficiently, and get producers back in the field more quickly during harvest and high-volume seasons.”

Facility highlights and capabilities include the following:

• 60,000 bushels per hour receiving capacity, pushing Worthing’s total to 110,000 bushels per hour

• 80,000 bushels per hour loading capacity

• 1.1 million bushels of new permanent storage, bringing site total to over 5 million

• 330,000 bushels of wet corn capacity, supported by a dryer capable of handling 7,500 bushels per hour

• 14,445 yards of concrete and 2 million pounds of rebar used in construction

The new rail loop and streamlined train loading process enable CHS to load a 450,000-bushel shuttle train in as little as six hours, using just four to five employees.

While a portion of the grain received at Worthing is used locally, the majority is transported by rail to export markets in the Pacific Northwest, Mexico, and the Texas Gulf. The facility is designed to support long-term grain movement and adapt to changing market dynamics, giving CHS farmer-owners the flexibility to remain competitive in a global marketplace.

“Because we’re a cooperative, our members are also our owners,” said Mulder. “That means we’re constantly evaluating our assets and supply chain to ensure we’re investing in the most strategic locations to benefit our members. Worthing is one of those key sites that strengthens the entire regional network, creating more efficient and reliable grain movement for local farmers.”

CHS has operated at the Worthing site since 2004, originally constructing an agronomy center and rail loop to support fertilizer logistics. This recent grain facility expansion creates a full-service ag retail and grain hub to serve farmers and benefit the local economy now and into the future.