Champaign, IL  (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Acting State Director Molly Hammond announced Friday that four businesses in Illinois are set to receive a combined $20+ million in grant funds for projects through the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP). A large portion, $14.8 million, will fund the construction and equipping of a new fertilizer facility in Springfield.

The facility, operated by Sul4r-Plus, will upcycle synthetic gypsum which is a waste from coal fired plants into organic binder nutrient. The project is expected to create 50 new positions and anticipates yielding 100,000 tons per year which will be made available to more than 80 local producers annually.

“This is an exciting investment for our local ag producers”, says Hammond. “Increasing local fertilizer production helps ensure a strong supply chain and keeps costs lower for rural Illinois farms.”

The FPEP was established to address challenges faced by American farmers due to the sharp increase in fertilizer prices, which more than doubled between 2021 and 2022. This surge in prices was driven by various factors, including the war in Ukraine and limited competition within the fertilizer industry.

This program provides grants to independent business owners to support equipment modernization, technology adoption, production facility construction, and more. These investments are intended to boost domestic fertilizer production, foster competition, and lower costs for farmers.

Other Illinois Projects:

  • Cook County – Patriot Acres LLC received a $1.5 million grant to assist with the construction and equipping of a 45,720 square foot, organic recycling and processing facility located in Des Plaines, Illinois. Patriot Acres LLC utilizes landscape waste, food waste, and organic discard into high quality compost and liquid soil additive called Terreplenish. The facility is expected to generate enough fertilizer to replace roughly 253,000 acres per year and provide domestic fertilizer to 1,800 plus producers in the region.
  • Stephenson County – Aquatic Agriculture LLC received a $2 million grant to provide financing for equipment and working capital for a mobile fertilizer processing and bailing operation. The project, which is unique to the industry, bales and packages chicken litter into a producer-ready product with extended shelf life. Operated by Green Harvest Solutions, the new equipment and working capital will help deliver a high content, low impact fertilizer amendment to producers throughout the Mid-West. The project anticipates yielding 173,250 tons per year of fertilizer nutrient which will be enough to cover roughly 200,000 acres in replacement to the syntactic equivalent.
  • Warren County – Interpose Ag, LLC received a $2.4 million grant to help produce a low salt, potassium phosphate liquid fertilizer for in-season application uses. The project is expected to create 10 new jobs and anticipates yielding 6 million gallons per year of liquid fertilizer which will be made available to more than 100 local producers annually.