Local FFA chapters and other energetic youth pick up extra dollars helping cover huge piles of corn dumped on the ground after bin-busting harvest deliveries exceed permanent storage capacity.

Other elevator managers store shelled corn and other grains in plastic bags, commonly used for silage.

Whichever method you may choose, economical commercial sidewalls of wood and metal, bagging systems and reinforced polyethylene sheeting are readily available to help sustain grain quality during the temporary storage period. Brands we've located include the following:

“We installed about 140 of our Flat-Stor wooden or steel truss frame systems during the last two years,” says Bob Martin, Lemar Industries Corp. The standard 9-ft. wooden 4 × 4-in. factory bolted oak or 6- or 10-ft. bolted steel truss frames provide structural support for a 30-degree tipped-out wall. Wooden frames are secured to the ground with steel rods; steel frames anchor to a concrete slab. Standard walls are perforated for maximum aeration efficiency, with solid walls optional. You can choose from round, center-filled units with 100,000 to 3 million-bu. capacity, or square and rectangular configurations of any length or width. Water drains away from a crowned pad. Permanent nailing strips make it easy to attach poly or vinyl tarps. Price: $0.08 to $0.40 per bushel of storage, depending on size, aeration system and other options. For more information on wall frames, conveyors and aeration systems, contact LeMar Industries Corp., 2070 NE 60th Ave., Des Moines, IA 50213, 515/266-7264.

These 3.5- or 6.5-ft. A-frame galvanized steel retaining walls are easy to assemble and stack for convenient shipping or relocating. When chained together, the 20-ft. airflow sections support maximum grain loads, says company vice president Howard Johnson. Back supports stake into the ground or anchor onto concrete. Minimum aeration draws air through the grain pile to inside the wall frames so no inlet air tubes are needed under the tarp. You can install the walls in round or rectangular shapes to meet your temporary storage requirements. Price: retaining walls alone, about $0.05 per bushel; complete systems will run up to $0.25 per bushel. Johnson also makes aeration tubes and fans and other accessory equipment. For more information, contact Johnson Systems Inc., 18999 Old 27 North, Marshall, MI 49068, 800/962-1495, e-mail: Jsysteminc@aol.com, Web site: www.johnsonsysteminc.com.

If you can move grain with an auger or pneumatic system, you can store it with Ag-Bag's Pro-Grain Ag-Bagger. While you unload trucks or wagons from a stationary position, the bagger fills the bag and moves ahead, tightly packing a 10-ft. diameter bag with up to 15,000 bushels (300 ft. in length) of wet or dry grain. Bags are easy to open and reseal for loading out. The tough plastic fabric prevents moisture penetration and insect infestations. The Pro-Grain Bagger features a 16-in. auger for high capacity with low hp and a 24-in. belt conveyor. For more information on prices, options and other product specs, contact Ag-Bag International, LTD, 2320 Ag-Bag Lane, Warrenton, OR 97146, 800/334-7432, www.agbag.com.

This versatile machine, manufactured by Sioux Automation Inc., is the only patented bagger on the market using simple band rather than cable-style brakes. The operator applies and releases the wheel brakes with an easily adjusted overcenter mechanism. Adding a shelled-corn kit to the Roto-Press allows bagging grain at a storage cost of about $0.08/bu., says marketing manager Vince Eberhart. Roto-Press comes standard with a fully enclosed oilbath, heat-treated shafts, 3-in. spherical roller bearing on the auger and a heavy-duty double-100 roller chain drive designed for high hp tractors. A 2- to 4-hp aeration fan will efficiently reduce grain moisture in the bag from 19 to 20% moisture to 15% or less, with outside temps of above 55°F, Eberhart says. For more information contact Sioux Automation Center Inc., 877 1st Ave. NW, Sioux Center, IA 51250, 712/722-1488, www.siouxautomation.com.

Raven Industries offers a range of one-piece polyethylene grain covers. Dura-skrim, a string-reinforced laminated product with ultraviolet inhibitors, comes in 8- to 20-mil thicknesses. It features a white side for reducing heat buildup and condensation and a black side to block light. Marketing manager Tom Stoebner says you can get two seasons of use with proper installation and handling.

Canvex, also two-sided white and black, is a woven-coated 12-mil product built to resist tears and punctures and is also designed tough for two seasons.

Rufco, a white, cross-laminated cover, has high strength-to-weight ratio, making it durable for short-term storage.

Raven also manufactures a wide range of containment liners from 20- to 40-mil thicknesses.

For more information, contact Raven Industries Flexible Films Dept., Box 5107, Sioux Falls, SD 57117, 800/635-3456, www.ravenindustries.com.

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