In 1975 liquid fertilizer was added to the anhydrous ammonia business. Tanks were installed to hold 32% liquid nitrogen, 12-35-0, and 3-9-27 suspensions. This addition gave Mettler Fertilizer a way to supply a more balanced plant food program for the farmers. Most of the liquid fertilizer was sold for starter fertilizer and applied with the planter or as side-dressed liquid nitrogen. A mixing plant was added in 1980 to blend liquid fertilizer. Currently, they have over 175,000 gallons of liquid fertilizer storage in Menno. Products offered include 32%, 28%, 10-34-0, 4-10-10, ammonium thiosulfate and Nulex liquid zinc. Mettler Fertilizer currently sells over 2500 tons of liquid fertilizer each year.

Mettler Fertilizer purchased its first “Big A” liquid floater in 1980. That floater is still being used today to spray pastures and other fields. Today they also have a 1603T dry air flow, 1803 air flow, 8104 air flow, 1844 air flow, 1803 liquid floater, 1603 liquid floater, one 1254 Rogator, four 854 Rogators, and an Eagle spray plane to use for the custom application business. Many of the applicators use Sat Loc GPS guidance equipment for swathing and mapping. Mettlers also have numerous dry fertilizer spreaders and liquid nurse tanks for growers to use. Currently Mettler Fertilizer has eight 16 ton tender trucks and one 10 ton tender truck for dry fertilizer delivery. For tending the liquid applications they utilize (2) 2625 gallon trucks, (2) 2000 gallon trucks, (1) 1500 gallon truck, (2) 3135 gallon trucks and (1) semi-trailer with 6300 gallons of capacity. A DMI strip till toolbar was purchased in the fall of 2000 and used on over 5300 acres to date.

During the fall of 1994, Mettler Fertilizer entered the dry fertilizer business. They constructed a new dry fertilizer plant using 4 Friesen bulk bins, a stainless steel leg, overhead auger, conveyor, and 10 ton blender. A 45 foot by 85 foot building was constructed to store seed, crop protection products, and house a new agronomy office. The plant went through a major remodeling project in 1999. Another Friesen bin, unloading building, pit conveyor, faster legs and conveyors under the bins were changed to make the system very fast and efficient. More office space and a conference room were also added.

In the fall of 2000, Mettler Fertilizer purchased Turkey Ridge Agri-Service by Hurley from Jim and Avis Georgeson. New offices were built on the side of an existing hanger that was remodeled into a seed and crop protection products storage warehouse. A new hanger was completed in 2001 just in time for the first big bug run. They applied over 60,000 acres of insecticides for bean leaf beetles in about 2 weeks time. Mettler Fertilizer also has a hanger with a portable loading pad at the Parkston Municipal airport to give them a convenient place to reload the spray planes.

Mettler Fertilizer also was able to branch out into the Freeman and Tripp areas in 2001. They were able to purchase a fertilizer business in Freeman to improve the fertilizer storage situation and also move into a new area. The Tripp area operated out of a rented building during the spring and summer months. A new seed and crop protection product warehouse with offices was built on Highway 37 on the southwest side of Tripp during the 2001-2002 winter. Plans are being finalized for a 3000 plus ton dry fertilizer plant at Tripp to be constructed during the 2002 summer.

What really makes Mettler Fertilizer different from competition are our people. Mettlers have 6 Certified Crop Advisors, one staff Agronomist, and more than 14 licensed applicators. They use a state of the art computer system that is networked with all our locations using wireless remote connections. The computer software is capable of doing planning, blending, GPS mapping using digital orthophotos, yield mapping, and accounting. This integrated software is very user friendly and efficient.