Canton, South Dakota has been issued a BDO Zone 'A' rating for corn stover, the first such rating in the state, covering a 75-mile radius from Canton across the Sioux Metro region and rated for 700,000 bone dry tons per year of low-risk supply.
The rating was issued by the BDO Zone Initiative in partnership with Sioux Metro Growth Alliance and Ecostrat. An 'A' rating denotes high prospective viability of feedstock supply and infrastructure, and low expectations of default risk. The full rated quantity is available within a 40-mile radius, with limited regional industrial competition for the resource.
The anchor site for the zone is the Canton Industrial Park, a 20-acre shovel-ready, city-owned parcel on the recently four-laned SD Highway 18, with electric, natural gas, water, wastewater and fibre services on site. A BNSF mainline runs directly through the park, and the site is competitively priced. The rating was supported in part by a USDA Rural Business Development Grant awarded to Sioux Metro Growth Alliance in late 2025.
Tyler Tordsen, president and CEO of Sioux Metro Growth Alliance, said the region has the feedstock, producer experience, relationships and site-ready infrastructure to support serious biobased investment, and described the rating as a meaningful signal to developers and investors seeking low-risk, high-viability locations in the Upper Midwest.
Jordan Solomon, chairman of the BDO Zone Initiative, highlighted Canton's deep corn stover supply, limited regional competition for the resource, and the shovel-ready industrial site's proximity to Interstate 29 as factors making the area a compelling profile for biobased developers.
Bill Even, commissioner at the South Dakota Governor's Office of Economic Development, said the designation reinforced the state's capacity to support the next generation of biobased manufacturing, while creating new markets for agriculture and strengthening rural communities.
Canton, South Dakota receives first BDO Zone ‘A’ rating for corn stover supply
