Landus Cooperative took possession June 1 of the Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) grain elevator in Manilla, Iowa.

Under the purchase agreement, announced in early May, Landus Cooperative gained more than 2.3 million bu. of grain capacity for its first wholly owned location in Crawford County, Iowa, including:

* 775,000 bu. of upright storage;

* More than 1.5 million bu. of bunker storage, and

* 32,000 bu. per hour of receiving capacity.

“This Manilla, Iowa, site is a strategic purchase for Landus Cooperative and farmers in western Iowa,” Milan Kucerak, Landus Cooperative chief executive officer, explained in early May. “While this grain asset has been well cared for, we expect to improve efficiency on behalf of the customer utilizing best practices from our nearly 60 grain locations in Iowa.

“Our domestic and international grain end users continue to demand high-quality corn and soybeans, and we know Crawford County farmers can help meet that demand,” Kucerak added.

Under the terms of the purchase agreement, ADM and Landus Cooperative plan to honor all outstanding grain contracts.

“We are anxious to begin working with growers in and around Crawford County and want to make their transition to Landus Cooperative as seamless as possible,” explained Roger Fray, Landus chief commodity marketing officer who oversees a team of dedicated grain marketing advisors.

“Our 'Cooperative Advantage Package' of more than a dozen marketing alternatives, combined with our patronage opportunities, make membership in Landus Cooperative an attractive option for former ADM customers,” Fray added.