COTTAGE GROVE, WI (January 23, 2025) – ALCIVIA, a member-owned agricultural and energy cooperative, is proud to announce the completion of several major construction milestones at its cutting-edge train shuttle loading facility in Hager City, Wisconsin. This advanced grain facility is poised to transform grain handling and logistics for farmers and the surrounding community. ALCIVIA will be accepting the first grain deliveries in spring of 2025.

“The investments we’re making today in our people, facilities, and services are all part of a broader strategy aimed at fostering growth and innovation for years to come,” said Jim Lange, Chairman, ALCIVIA’s Board of Directors.

The Hager City facility now boasts eight newly completed grain bins capable of storing a total of 3.9 million bushels of grain, alongside two 4,700-bushel-per-hour grain dryers and three 1,500-bushel-capacity dump pits. These features will enable a combined grain handling speed of 60,000 bushels per hour, significantly reducing long lines and wait times. Farmers will spend less time in the cab and thus have a better chance of getting home in time for dinner.

“If you drive past the construction site, you can’t miss the new bins and towers that are reshaping the landscape,” said Jim Dell, ALCIVIA’s CEO and President. “This facility reflects ALCIVIA’s commitment to innovation and to supporting our members and community. We’re excited to see the positive impact it will have on farmers, providing the speed, capacity, and market access they need to thrive.”

Bringing New Opportunities to Farmers
Located on 40 acres with Class I BNSF rail access, this facility can reach the markets within the BNSF network. In addition, ALCIVIA can load shuttles at other locations on the UP and CPKC railroads which provides significant advantages to both domestic and export markets. It also boasts access to the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, positioning ALCIVIA for optimal logistical and arbitrage opportunities. Farmers will have access to new markets previously out of reach. Farmers like Don Schroeder, who grows corn and soybeans just north of Hager City, anticipate significant benefits from the facility.

“We used to haul our grain as far as Claremont, Minnesota, which is an hour and a half one way,” said Schroeder. “Having this facility close by means less time on the road, lower fuel costs, and reduced wear and tear on our trucks. Plus, with access to year-round rail shipping, we’ll finally have the flexibility to sell and move grain during the winter months when other terminals are closed.”

A Comprehensive Agricultural Hub
In addition to grain handling, ALCIVIA envisions a 24-hour unattended two-bay loading terminal for liquid fertilizer and rail liquid propane unloading and storage in the future. These added services will streamline operations for farmers, saving time and improving overall productivity. By centralizing these resources, ALCIVIA is creating a hub designed to meet the diverse needs of modern agriculture.

“This project is a win-win,” added Dell. “Farmers gain more efficient access to diverse markets, and the community benefits from increased tax revenue and economic activity. We’re confident this will be a game-changer for the region.”

Looking Ahead
Construction on the Hager City facility began in April 2024, just five months after ALCIVIA purchased the 40-acre site. The facility remains on track for its spring 2025 completion. Farmers and community members can sign up for updates on the construction at www.ALCIVIA.com/HagerCity.

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About ALCIVIA
ALCIVIA is a leading, member-owned agricultural and energy cooperative driven by a passion for excellence and a future without boundaries. Located in Wisconsin and serving farm, business, and retail customers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa, ALCIVIA’s engaged employees provide innovative, responsible solutions to help drive the immediate and long-term success of their customers, including competitive input financing, and best-in-class products and services in agronomy, animal nutrition, energy, and grain. Learn more about ALCIVIA at www.ALCIVIA.com.

Important Message Regarding Text Messages from ALCIVIA

UPDATE as of August 12, 2024:
The below issue has been FULLY resolved and ALCIVIA is now able to receive and send SMS text messages with our members, customers, and partners. We appreciate the patience as we worked to resolve the issue.

Posted May 31, 2024:
As of June 1, 2024, ALCIVIA will be temporarily disabled from sending text messages (SMS) through our communication platform. ALCIVIA will still have the ability to receive inbound SMS messages from our members, customers, and partners to ensure business continuity. In response, the ALCIVIA team will utilize email and phone calls for direct outbound communication with our members, customers, and partners until this issue is resolved. Please call 608.251.9010 with questions or concerns.

ALCIVIA is urgently working with our communication platform partner to regain the ability to send direct SMS messages and ensure continuity of business. In the meantime, members, customers, and partners may continue to send SMS messages to conduct business with ALCIVIA. However, the ALCIVIA team’s ability to respond via SMS may be impacted. If customers or partners send an SMS to ALCIVIA and do not receive an SMS response, they may expect a phone call or email in its place. This does not impact grain bid texts, Market Wire updates, and other mass SMS messages from ALCIVIA’s 67795 phone number.

ALCIVIA takes the privacy and security of our members and customers very seriously. Please be assured this is a legitimate communication regarding our SMS services. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this issue, please do not hesitate to call us at 608.251.9010. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause and we will continue to provide updates as they are available.

On the evening of May 30, 2024, ALCIVIA was informed of a “pending” status on a government regulation regarding the utilization of text message (SMS) communication through our communication platform. The government regulation requires businesses to have three separate agency approvals to continue utilizing outbound SMS services. As of June 1, 2024, any business with a “pending” status on these policies will lose the ability to send SMS messages. ALCIVIA’s status is “pending,” therefore this regulation will temporarily disable ALCIVIA from sending SMS messages through our communication platform.

PRESS RELEASE

Information Contact:
ALCIVIA Marketing Team
marketing@ALCIVIA.com

Matt Olson
C.O.nxt
920.493.3714
molson@co-nxt.com

For Immediate Release: July 23, 2024

ALCIVIA Now Supporting Farmers in Truterra’s Sustainability Programs

Enrollment period for 2025 now open

COTTAGE GROVE, WI  – ALCIVIA, a member-owned cooperative, has signed an agreement with Land O’ Lakes, Inc. to join the Truterra, LLC retailers network. The partnership opens financial pathways for eligible farmers to transition to agricultural conservation practices while participating in the Truterra® financial assistance – a USDA-supported program.

“Transitioning to new conservation agriculture practices can feel like a major undertaking,” says Nick Christen, VP of Agronomy for ALCIVIA. “With this opportunity for financial assistance offered by Truterra, we’re working to streamline and support the transition so our members and customers can embrace regenerative practices with confidence.”

Eligible farmers who enroll in the 2025 Truterra® financial assistance – a USDA-supported program through ALCIVIA between August 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, can earn up to $100 per acre for 500 acres when converting to strip/no-till planting and adopting cover crops for the 2025 crop year.

“Our members and customers will benefit significantly from this partnership,” says Jim Dell, CEO and President of ALCIVIA. “We are excited about this opportunity to help our members as they work to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture.”

Truterra offers sustainability programs designed to help reduce the environmental impact of agricultural production through the consultation, tools, and solutions that it provides. Eligible farmers may experience enhanced agronomic, economic, and environmental benefits by implementing conservation agronomy practices in their fields.

“Farmers are quickly realizing that Truterra’s farmer-friendly approach provides a strong connection between sustainability and profitability,” says Jamie Leifker, President of Truterra. “Farmers work with a trusted advisor who helps plot the course, adopt the practices, and achieve success.”

In 2024, Truterra announced that its carbon program paid farmers more than $21 million for more than 1.1 million metric tons of carbon during the first three years of the program.

To learn more about the details and enroll in this program through ALCIVIA, visit www.TruterraAg.com/Enroll.

About ALCIVIA
ALCIVIA is a leading, member-owned agricultural and energy cooperative driven by a passion for excellence and a future without boundaries. Located in Wisconsin and serving farm, business, and retail customers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa, ALCIVIA’s engaged employees provide innovative, responsible solutions to help drive the immediate and long-term success of their customers, including competitive input financing, and best-in-class products and services in agronomy, animal nutrition, energy, and grain. Learn more about ALCIVIA at www.ALCIVIA.com.

About Truterra
Truterra is a leading sustainability solutions provider, advancing and connecting sustainability efforts throughout the food system at scale – from farmers to ag retailers to value chain collaborators including food and fiber companies. Truterra positions farmers for success by providing them tools and resources to establish a stewardship baseline, track progress on every field they farm, access conservation resources, and prepare for ecosystem services market opportunities. The Truterra network brings together the best in agricultural technology and precision conservation to drive sustainability across the food system, feeding people, safeguarding the planet, and supporting farmer livelihoods. Truterra was launched in 2016 by Land O’Lakes, Inc., a member-owned cooperative that spans the spectrum from agricultural production to consumer foods. To learn more, visit www.TruterraAg.com.

Important Message Regarding Text Messages from ALCIVIA

UPDATE as of June 20, 2024 at 12 pm:
The below issue has been partially resolved and ALCIVIA is now able to receive SMS text messages from our members, customers, and partners. The ALCIVIA team will continue to utilize email and phone calls for direct outbound communication with our members, customers, and partners until this issue is fully resolved.

Posted on June 19, 2024:
On June 20, 2024, ALCIVIA will temporarily be unable to receive or send SMS text messagesPlease be aware that if you send an SMS text message on June 20, ALCIVIA will NOT be able to receive this communication. We apologize for any inconvenience and ask that our customers use email or phone calls while texting is being repaired. The ALCIVIA team will continue to utilize email and phone calls for direct outbound communication with our members, customers, and partners until this issue is resolved. Please call 608.251.9010 with questions or concerns.

ALCIVIA is urgently working with our communication platform partner to regain the ability to receive and send direct SMS messages and ensure continuity of business. This does not impact grain bid texts, Market Wire updates, and other mass SMS messages from ALCIVIA’s 67795 phone number.

ALCIVIA takes the privacy and security of our members and customers very seriously. Please be assured this is a legitimate communication regarding our SMS services. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this issue, please do not hesitate to call us at 608.251.9010. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause and we will continue to provide updates as they are available.

On the morning of June 14th, 2024, ALCIVIA was informed by governing agencies of a situation which will impact the utilization of text message (SMS) communication. ALCIVIA has been working with the vendor to remediate the issues that caused this status. The government regulation requires businesses to have three separate agency approvals to continue utilizing inbound and outbound SMS services. To fix this issue, ALCIVIA must resubmit our applications to the governing agencies. While these are being resubmitted, ALCIVIA will experience an SMS texting outage for both inbound and outbound texting.

Important Message Regarding Text Messages from ALCIVIA

As of June 1, 2024, ALCIVIA will be temporarily disabled from sending text messages (SMS) through our communication platform. ALCIVIA will still have the ability to receive inbound SMS messages from our members, customers, and partners to ensure business continuity. In response, the ALCIVIA team will utilize email and phone calls for direct outbound communication with our members, customers, and partners until this issue is resolved. Please call 608.251.9010 with questions or concerns.

ALCIVIA is urgently working with our communication platform partner to regain the ability to send direct SMS messages and ensure continuity of business. In the meantime, members, customers, and partners may continue to send SMS messages to conduct business with ALCIVIA. However, the ALCIVIA team’s ability to respond via SMS may be impacted. If customers or partners send an SMS to ALCIVIA and do not receive an SMS response, they may expect a phone call or email in its place. This does not impact grain bid texts, Market Wire updates, and other mass SMS messages from ALCIVIA’s 67795 phone number.

ALCIVIA takes the privacy and security of our members and customers very seriously. Please be assured this is a legitimate communication regarding our SMS services. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this issue, please do not hesitate to call us at 608.251.9010. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause and we will continue to provide updates as they are available.

On the evening of May 30, 2024, ALCIVIA was informed of a “pending” status on a government regulation regarding the utilization of text message (SMS) communication through our communication platform. The government regulation requires businesses to have three separate agency approvals to continue utilizing outbound SMS services. As of June 1, 2024, any business with a “pending” status on these policies will lose the ability to send SMS messages. ALCIVIA’s status is “pending,” therefore this regulation will temporarily disable ALCIVIA from sending SMS messages through our communication platform.

PRESS RELEASE

Information Contact:

ALCIVIA Marketing Team
marketing@ALCIVIA.com

For Immediate Release: May 9, 2024

ALCIVIA Awards 25 Scholarships to Local Youth Pursuing Secondary Education

COTTAGE GROVE, WI – ALCIVIA is pleased to announce the winners of our annual scholarships. The cooperative recently presented 25 scholarships of $1,000 each to a group of local high school seniors and collegiate students pursuing post-secondary education. Scholarships were awarded during ALCIVIA’s annual scholarship reception, which was held virtually to bring students together from across the state of Wisconsin. Recipients were able to discuss future goals and aspirations with ALCIVIA leadership during the reception.

“Here at ALCIVIA, we focus on giving back to our communities in the areas of safety, hunger, and youth development. It’s great to see that go to work with these scholarships and getting to watch the students grow to their next level,” said Jim Dell, CEO and President. 

The ALCIVIA scholarship program encourages academic, professional, and leadership development. ALCIVIA is delighted to announce the 2023-24 winners:
 
High School Recipients            
Alana Durtschi – Albany High School, attending UW-La Crosse 
Alicia Hill – Arise Virtual High School, attending Carroll University  
Alyssa Nowak – East Troy High School, attending Gateway Technical College
Brian Styer – Menomonie High School, attending UW-Madison
Camryn Kirkham – Augusta High School, attending Chippewa Valley Technical College
Chance Austin – Milton High School, attending Iowa State University 
Charlotte Tompkins – Rio High School, attending UW-La Crosse
Cole Weisenbeck – Durand-Arkansaw High School, attending UW-Platteville 
Dani Graff – Markesan High School, attending UW-Platteville 
Elena Weber – Durand-Arkansaw High School, undecided
Gabrielle Neumann – Osceola High School, attending Iowa State University 
Hillary Klubertanz – Columbus High School, attending Kansas State University 
Luke Fischer – Lincoln High School, attending UW-Madison
Luke Hying – Waterford Union High School, attending Southwest Technical College 
Lundyn Carlson – Pepin High School, attending University of Minnesota Twin Cities  
Megan Glover – Markesan High School, Fox Valley Technical College
Olivia Saxe – Mondovi High School, undecided
Payton Calvert – Cuba City High School, Southwest Technical College 
Sarah Jensen – Amery High School, attending Minnesota State University 
Tyce Bettenhausen – Cambridge High School, attending UW-Platteville 
Valery Vayserberg – McFarland High School, undecided 
                       
College Recipients
Erik Schultz – Blackhawk Technical College
Karyn Duddeck – UW-Stout
Kendra Goplin – South Dakota State University
Kyle Diedrich – UW-Whitewater 

ALCIVIA has awarded more than 900 scholarships totaling more than $490,850 to students since 1989 in support of building a strong future for its members, its communities, and the world.

 “Each year the recipients impress us with their dedication to their academics, extra-curriculars, and community involvement. We are so grateful to get to play a part in their academic and career journeys,” Board Chairman Jim Lange shared. 

ALCIVIA is a leading, member-owned agricultural and energy cooperative driven by our passion for excellence and a future without boundaries. Located in Wisconsin and serving farm, business and retail customers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa, our engaged employees provide innovative, responsible solutions to help drive the immediate and long-term success of our customers, including competitive operating loans and input financing, as well as best-in-class products and services for the agronomy, animal nutrition, energy, and grain needs of our customers.

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ALCIVIA is investing in a John Deere lease program that will replace one-third of our agronomy applicator machines each year with new machines. The team at ALCIVIA is extremely excited for our machines to be consistent, making it easier for our operators to change machines and flex throughout the territory. This new program will enhance ALCIVIA’s existing capabilities and will drive efficiency and greater profitability for our members and customers.

This year, ALCIVIA is adding 24 new machines to the agronomy fleet. Our objective is to be on a three-year rotation so one-third of the machines will be new every year and will be replaced every three years. The machines are backed by John Deere’s robust warranty, and we are looking forward to less downtime, fewer breakdowns, and easier and more cost-efficient troubleshooting. Additionally, the common parts needed to fix the machines will be uniform and on-hand for quicker repairs. With the wide range of machines in ALCIVIA’s current fleet, efficiency and cost of repairs has looked much different in the past.

With the ever-evolving and fast-paced world of technology, ALCIVIA is excited to align with our mission of delivering innovative solutions to our members. The opportunity to cycle machines faster will allow us to offer the most up-to-date technology available. This is equally exciting for current and future ALCIVIA custom application operators, knowing that they will be able to get into newer machines with the highest efficiencies and latest technologies.

The ALCIVIA team is excited for this program to kick off this spring so we can continue to provide innovative and responsible solutions to our members and customers. Keep your eye out for these new machines across the ALCIVIA footprint!

ALCIVIA values the safety of our members, customers, and employees first and foremost. As we enter planting season, we want to take this opportunity to provide a short refresher on planting safety.

The planter has a lot of moving parts and while most of them are small and internal, or hidden behind shielding, there are still dangers that operators should be aware of to ensure a safe spring planting season.

Many of the dangers of a planter are not obvious because they are hidden in potential energy (or stored energy). Potential energy on a planter can be in the form of gravity, pneumatic, hydraulic, electrical, or other forms. When working with gravity, it is important to remember that the planter could lower down at any moment, posing a risk of harm to you and/or others. Proper installation of safety stops or pins could save a foot, arm, leg, or even a life. Never get under a planter without first making sure that the safety stops are installed.

In a planter, pneumatics are used in several ways, but row unit down force and row cleaners are two of the most common. Draining the air pressure from the system before servicing the machine is important. Hydraulic pressure is also used almost everywhere on the machine. Hydraulics play into several dangerous scenarios. First, if a hydraulic line blows, the planter could have unexpected movement. This sudden and unexpected movement may include the planter lowering, a wing folding/unfolding, a marker lower unexpectedly, and more. There is also the possibility of hydraulic oil injecting into your body. Never check for hydraulic leaks with your hand; always use something other than a body part when feeling around for the leak. With hydraulic pressures on some machines getting above 6000 PSI, the oil has great force when there is a pin hole leak in the system.

Newer planters are using electricity to run meters and other parts of the planter. With the increase in technologies, the voltages powering the new systems are rising to the point that an accidental contact could pose dangerous health risks. Know your planter and know what you are dealing with. If you are unsure about your machine’s electrical system, get the help of a trained professional to help diagnose and repair your machine.

ALCIVIA is taking delivery of 24 new application machines for use this season. Even with a new machine, ALCIVIA applicators are trained to do a walk-around prior to use to make sure all their safety equipment is in order. This includes items like lights, slow moving vehicle signs, mirrors, fire extinguisher, windows, first aid kit, and personal protective equipment. Just because it worked yesterday, doesn’t mean it will work today.

While it is easy to talk about safety, it is challenging to change habits. Safety doesn’t start overnight; it needs to be worked on every day. With the fast-moving pace of today’s world, it is easy to take a chance to keep moving in the field. Efficiency is everyone’s goal, but it is important to slow down and make sure we can accomplish this in a safe manner. ALCIVIA’s value of safety refers to our commitment to the health and well-being of our co-workers, families, customers, environment, and communities. Please incorporate safety into your own every day this season.

PRESS RELEASE

Information Contact:

ALCIVIA Marketing Team
marketing@ALCIVIA.com

For Immediate Release: April 12, 2024

ALCIVIA Breaks Ground on New Hager City Facility

COTTAGE GROVE, WI – ALCIVIA’s Board of Directors broke ground on the new state-of-the-art rail loading grain terminal in Hager City, WI on April 4. In attendance were key vendors and partners for the project and members of ALCIVIA’s leadership team. 

The new facility will be built on 40 acres and has over 21,000 linear feet of Class I BNSF track. The facility will bring grain terminal assets to producers in west central Wisconsin and southeast Minnesota.

Features of the new grain facility include upright grain storage space for 3.9 million bushels serviced by two 4,700-bushel per hour grain dryers and three 1,500-bushel capacity dump pits that will move grain at a combined handling speed of 60,000 bushels per hour. 

Once built, ALCIVIA will have three shuttle loading facilities on three different Class I railroads (BNSF, UP, CPKC), access to the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, and logistics to domestic corn ethanol plants and soybean crush plants. This positions ALCIVIA with highly desirable domestic and export market access and arbitrage.

“This project will give us a lot of flexibility for our members, our customers, and our trade territory. We are really looking forward to working with the railroad and the community to build this site into something special,” stated Jim Dell, ALCIVIA CEO and President.

The estimated project completion date is March 2025. Visit ALCIVIA.com/HagerCity for more information and updates or to view a livestream of the site.

ALCIVIA is a leading, member-owned agricultural and energy cooperative driven by a passion for excellence and a future without boundaries. Located in Wisconsin and serving farm, business and retail customers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa, ALCIVIA’s engaged employees provide innovative, responsible solutions to help drive the immediate and long-term success of their customers, including competitive input financing, and best-in-class products and services in agronomy, animal nutrition, energy, and grain.

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PRESS RELEASE

Information Contact:

ALCIVIA Marketing Team
marketing@ALCIVIA.com

For Immediate Release: March 27, 2024

ALCIVIA Sells HVAC Business Unit to Action Plumbing, Air Conditioning and Electric (“Action”) and Hurlburt Heating, AC & Plumbing (“Hurlburt”)

COTTAGE GROVE, WI – ALCIVIA announced the sale of their Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) business unit to Action Plumbing, Air Conditioning and Electric (“Action”) and Hurlburt Heating, AC & Plumbing (“Hurlburt”). This sale includes existing operations located in Cottage Grove, WI and Durand, WI.

The sale of the HVAC business unit allows ALCIVIA to continue their focused growth in the core areas of agronomy, animal nutrition, energy, grain, information technology, and input financing.

Partnering with Action and Hurlburt on this sale ensures a smooth transition for ALCIVIA’s HVAC customers who will continue to experience excellent customer service while being offered an expanded line of service and product offerings. All existing service contracts, contracted installs, and warranties will be honored by Action and Hurlburt.

Action: For over three decades, Action has provided exceptional heating, cooling, and plumbing services to the greater Madison area. Action’s commitment to ensuring the comfort and safety of the community remains unwavering, regardless of the weather conditions it faces.

Hurlburt: Since 1959, Hurlburt has been dedicated to providing top quality HVAC and plumbing services to its customers, as well as giving back to its community. Hurlburt serves Western Wisconsin through multiple locations in Menomonie, Eau Claire, and Hudson.

ALCIVIA, Action, and Hurlburt have similar approaches to business and are excellent partners for this business transition. As such, ALCIVIA’s HVAC customers will continue to experience superior value, services, and customer care.

“Action and Hurlburt have extremely strong reputations in the industry for their expertise, quality of service, and customer care. This transition will not only ensure the continuation of the high-quality HVAC services our customers deserve, but it will also provide a more focused and enhanced experience given that residential services are their core business,” said Jim Dell, ALCIVIA CEO and President. “We are continually evaluating our business strategies to ensure that we provide the best services and products that align with our core business competencies that exceed our members’ needs and expectations.”

ALCIVIA is a leading, member-owned agricultural and energy cooperative driven by our passion for excellence and a future without boundaries. Located in Wisconsin and serving farm, business, and retail customers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa, our engaged employees provide innovative, responsible solutions to help drive the immediate and long-term success of our customers, including competitive operating loans and input financing, as well as best-in-class products and services for the agronomy, animal nutrition, energy, and grain needs of our customers.

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