As you plan your 2025 growing season, it is prudent you reevaluate your farm’s grain storage needs, writes GSI, a brand of Grain & Protein Technologies, in a recent press release.
“A well-planned grain system is essential to protect stored grain quality and increase harvest efficiency,” says Jeff Cravens, director, North America, grain east central farm sales.
For farmers planning a new grain system or adding on to a current build, Cravens offers the following considerations:
- Capacity and grain types: How many different types of grain will the facility handle, and what are the different handling and storage characteristics for each grain? Will grain drying be required? Also take into account your volume requirements for each grain type to service the market, customers and end users.
- Location: Where will you market your grain? Consider who your customers are as well as your proximity to them, which can have a significant impact on location. Access to a nearby state highway lets you haul grain year-round without any road restrictions. Having your farm’s grain storage facility near your fields reduces transport time and fuel costs and may even reduce the number of trucks needed.
- Fuel: Does the site have access to natural gas? As a general rule of thumb, grain can be dried with natural gas for about half the cost of propane.
- Power: Three-phase power is needed for operating large machines and motors in today’s larger grain systems. It is a necessity for high-capacity dryers because of the large amount of grain being dried. In areas where three-phase power is not available, a phase converter can be used to run three-phase motors and engines from existing single-phase power sources.
- Room for growth: Always include additional space in the layout of a new system to accommodate more equipment as your operation grows, including the number and capacity of grain bins, conveyors and dryers that will be needed. Also, remember that space doesn’t do much good if you don’t have the infrastructure — natural gas and electric — to expand.
- Wet bushel storage: Do not assume that your wet holding capacity will always be adequate. Once you start drying more grain, an increase in your wet bushel storage capacity will become a necessity.
- Pit: Consider adding a truck load-out or a pit, which can sometimes save the cost of a truck or lead to other benefits.
- Traffic pattern: Create a traffic pattern for separate dumping and loading stations to increase efficiency. Being able to load and unload grain simultaneously can save you time and money.
- Profitability: Make sure you know your operating costs and the revenue needed to meet your margin requirements. Also, consider how much additional margin could be captured with automation.
“Now is the best time to begin planning for a new or expanded grain system for 2025,” Cravens said.
Your Next Read: Will the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Get a Second Life?
