TO HELP REDUCE RELIANCE ON FOREIGN SUPPLIES, CHS HAS UNVEILED BIG PLANS TO PRODUCE NITROGEN DOMESTICALLY. W hen farmers lock down fertilizer supply, most don’t realize the intricate system governing how crop nutrients are transported across the world, into the U.S. and eventually to the farm. Domestically, some 500 million tons of fertilizer, grain and coal are moved by barge on the Mississippi River annually, says Jeff Greseth, vice president of supply and trading, crop nutrients for CHS. But with last year’s drought still showing its teeth, low water levels have put barge traffi c in peril. Barge transportation continues to be the most effi cient and economical way to move commodities in and out of the country’s midsection. For example, it takes 16 rail cars or 70 semi trucks to haul the same volume of grain or fertilizer as a single barge. > Your CHS Connection 7