How To Storage Grain For Small Farms?

It’s the worst time to sell grain around harvest because the high supply drives prices down. Taking grain to a feed mill or elevator comes with extra charges for drying, shrink, storage, handling and more. Instead of paying these additional costs, many farmers prefer to store their grain on-farm and keep that money.
To most effectively sell your grain, you may need to store it into summer and possibly into the next year. To do so, you’re going to need to store it properly. If you don’t and it goes out of condition, you may have to market corn before you’re ready.

What’s the advantage of on-farm grain storage ?

What if there was a way to sell grain throughout the year when prices are highest? The grain market is constantly fluctuating according to the price of inputs, weather, demographic changes, shifts in diet trends and other factors. In such an unstable market, storage bins offer farmers flexibility in regard to when and where their crop is marketed. On-farm grain storage can be a farmer’s greatest shield against unforeseen circumstances and uncontrollable variables.
On-farm grain bins present a solution to this issue by enabling farmers to dry and store their surplus on-farm until the market is more profitable for selling .Which is a strategy that can stabilize their income. With on-farm storage, farmers can know their grain is safe and well-preserved while they wait for prices to improve.
On-farm grain storage also helps counteract the high price of freight at harvest time. The demand for freight skyrockets during harvest, and the price rises with it. Holding grain on-farm after harvest instead of immediately transporting it allows farmers to wait for freight rates to drop or eliminate the cost of freight entirely by delivering grain directly to local receiving sites themselves.
And this reality is why on-farm grain storage is becoming more and more common. Farmers are turning to on-farm storage as a planned way to increase the chances of making money from their crops instead of simply crossing their fingers and hoping for the best each harvest.

How to storage grain in small farms ?

The moisture content and temperature of grain are critical factors in keeping grain in good condition. On-farm drying of grain will extend maximum storage time – 13 to 14 percent moisture, allowing grain to be stored for 6 to 12 months after harvest. Corn sold commercially is adjusted to 15 percent moisture for delivery of sale and 14 percent moisture for bushels placed under warehouse receipt. Cooling the grain to temperatures of 40°F or lower can extend storage time significantly. As it dries the grain will shrink causing fewer bushels to be marketed.

Silo bags
Some farmers use silo bags in conjunction with fixed grain storage silos, largely for storing feed grain for his feedlot.The bagged grain must be kept off the ground to prevent spoilage by trans locating water and/or termites. Low platforms, tarpaulins or plastic sheeting may serve this purpose; but if there is a risk of damage by rodents or other animals, high platforms fitted with rodent barriers should be used. If there is a risk of rain during the temporary storage period the bags should be covered with waterproof sheeting ( but not all the time if the grain has a moisture content much in excess of 12%). Alternatively, the sacks of grain should be stacked on dunnage or waterproof sheeting, away from walls, in a rodentproofed barn.
It’s suitable for short term storage of grain, providing the best utilization of capital.

Grain bin
Grain bins generally store dry corn and soybeans, which meet market demand for feed, food and fuel use.Grain bins are metal cylinders with peaked metal roofs that typically have staircases or ladders on the outside. They are vented,silver,corrugated steel structures fatter in diameter than silos and have varying heights.
Grain bins also allow farmers to harvest early in the season and for longer throughout each day without needing to worry about when the mill receiving hours end. As opposed to storing at a grain elevator, having on-site storage allows continual harvest throughout the day. You’ll be able to skip the long lines at the grain elevator and use that valuable time to keep working in the field.
Increasing the amount of grain harvested and stored on days the weather is suitable to work grants even better chances of reducing the amount of crop lost to weather. And on the days the weather is bad, bins will stand strong against the storm while the freshly harvested grain remains safe inside.