This article is taken from the November 30, 2023 USDA Grain Transportation Report.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) recently awarded a $1.75 million grant to Cass County, IN, to facilitate heavy trucks’ access to an agricultural business park where fertilizer, corn, and soybeans are processed. The grant will be matched with $1.4 million in local funds.

EDA anticipates the grant will help increase the capacity of trucks the park can handle, as well as “provide a much-needed boost to the regional economy.”

Federal funds came from EDA’s Assistance to Coal Communities (ACC) initiative. By investing in economic diversification and workforce development, ACC helps communities severely impacted by declining coal use. The businesses in the agricultural park include an ethanol and corn oil processor and a corn/soybean processing plant