EVANSVILLE, Wis. — CHS, a Minnesota-based cooperative owned by farmers, plans to build a $700 million soybean-processing facility in Evansville and begin operations in fall 2028. The plant is expected to process up to 80 million bushels of soybeans a year once fully operational. CHS estimates it will produce roughly 1 billion pounds of soybean oil and 2 million tons of soybean meal annually, while creating about 80 jobs. The company said the facility will expand its soybean-processing capacity by more than two-thirds when combined with existing plants in Hallock and Mankato, Minnesota. CHS executive vice president of agriculture business John Griffith said demand from food, animal feed and renewable-fuel markets is driving the need for additional domestic processing. “This facility positions CHS to support farmers and customers for years to come,” Griffith said. The project is also designed around major freight movement. Plans call for an in-plant rail loop connected to Union Pacific, along with the ability to receive as many as 1,000 trucks per day. That scale could make the facility a major new transportation and industrial presence for Evansville and surrounding communities. Gov. Tony Evers said the investment would build on Wisconsin’s agricultural and food-processing economy. The announcement comes as state and federal policies encourage more processing, manufacturing and domestic production tied to food and energy markets. CHS has not provided additional details in the announcement about the project’s precise site, construction schedule, public incentives, water use, emissions or plans for managing traffic impacts. Those issues will be important for residents and local officials as the facility moves through development and permitting.