Enid Regional Development Alliance is celebrating the completion of a USDA Rural Business Development Grant project with the transfer of bagging equipment to Enterprise Grain Co.
In 2020, ERDA secured USDA funding for a bagging equipment system to help Enterprise Grain expand its value-added grain and specialty crop operations. Over the past five years, the equipment has improved efficiency, strengthened supply chain operations and opened new market opportunities for producers across Northwest Oklahoma.
As part of the grant requirements, ERDA maintained ownership of the equipment for the past five years. With those obligations fulfilled, the equipment officially is being transferred to Enterprise Grain as a permanent company asset.
“This has been a game changer for us,” said Brady Sidwell, owner of Enterprise Grain. “We appreciate USDA and, of course, ERDA to help us apply for the grant and hopefully grow this channel. It always kind of starts small when you think about the big scale of agriculture, but you have to start somewhere and we’re hoping now to be able to scale these markets to make a margin impact for the whole community.”
The bagging system plays an important role in Enterprise Grain’s operation by taking bulk agricultural products and packaging them into 50-pound bags for shipment to food-grade companies and other markets that require a consistent monthly supply.
This process helps bridge the gap between local producers and larger domestic and international buyers. The system supports custom bagging and cleaning services for wheat, barley, malted products, seed wheat, deer corn, fertilizer blends and other specialty crops.
That means crops grown by area farmers can move through a full supply chain — from local harvest to cleaning, custom bagging, container trucking and port shipment — connecting with buyers, importers and exporters around the world.
“ERDA is proud to support projects that strengthen value-added agriculture in our region,” said Marcie Mack, ERDA executive director. “This transfer is a great example of how strategic grant funding can create long-term value for businesses, producers, and our local economy.”
The project reflects ERDA’s continued commitment to supporting business growth, agricultural innovation and rural economic development across Northwest Oklahoma.
To learn more about Enterprise Grain’s services, markets and custom bagging capabilities, go online to enterprisegrain.com or call (580) 874-2286.
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This article originally appeared in the Enid News & Eagle on July 1, 2026.
