Frenchman Valley Co-op is expanding storage capabilities and increasing the size of their dump pit.

They expect a new storage building to be operational before the upcoming wheat harvest, with a target date of June 15, according to Gene Golding of FVC.

Although the plan is to have the storage facility ready for wheat harvest, Golding says it will be used for corn as well as an additional storage facility.

The 47,500 square foot building, constructed by Liberty Buildings of Plainville, Kan., will measure 132-feet-wide by 360-feet-long. It will store about one million bushels of grain, according to Rod Cellmer, project manager for Liberty Buildings.

“We are working on speed and space,” Golding says of the planned improvements.

Cellmer describes the building as having a reinforced concrete floor eight-inches-thick sitting on another eight inches of compacted rock bed.

The building will have a continuous concrete wall 10-feet-high and 14-inches-thick. The plans include large galvanized steel trusses every 10 feet and the entire storage facility will be covered with a strong fabric cover.

That cover, which is resistant to hail and tears, will protect any grain stored inside from Nebraska’s ever-changing weather.

Inside the quonset-shaped storage building there will be one large leg with a conveyor belt running the entire building length. Frisbee Construction will be taking care of all the grain-handling equipment, according to Cellmer.

“The key is the farmer’s truck can come in and get through the line quicker and get back to the fields,” Cellmer said.

The large bunker that is currently used for storage is open to the elements and can result in lost product, according to Golding. There are no plans to dismantle that bunker, but instead it will be used as extra storage when needed.

FVC is also constructing a 1000 bushel dump pit with a 15,000 bushel/hour leg. Golding says this will accommodate semi-trucks better. He adds that both hoppers will be dumped simultaneously with the new pit.

Currently, a truck will pull in and dump the first of two hoppers. The driver must then pull further forward for a second dump.

Golding says this takes longer than necessary and last year trucks were lined up on the highway waiting to dump the loads of grain.

“This will be faster and more convenient,” Golding said with a smile,” The farmers will be happier.”