How Long Can Grain Be Stored? - Farm Basics

From Ag PhD Episode #1241 for the week of 1-16-22. Brian and Darren Hefty talk about grain storage and how farmers keep it "alive" in grain bins until it can be sold or used.

[darenholzinger]

I’ve seen grain that was in the bin for 30 years and still good, back then people harvested grain when it was completely dry and put in a good bin, nowadays people rely too much and drying and aeration instead of waiting an extra day.

[tf]

If you are diversified enough with other income streams to be able to carry over a crop over 2 years, it can be very advantageous to blend old crop with new crop. Especially if the market is trending upwards or if there is a typical upswing 4 weeks before harvest and local crushers/mills need product. But it would be very rare for a farm to be able to carry over longer than that because of market fluctuations and carrying over the purchase of seed and inputs... especially this year!

[kinghunters]

Very good to know... Like the times of yousef prophet and the drought in egypt.

[hmbdpwi]

If the bin has its own system for monitoring temperature and moisture, why do farmers also put temperature and moisture cables inside the bin once it's loaded?

[ShermanT.Potter]

I overdry the corn I store in the bins because I've seen/heard of too many times when people pushed the limit just a little too much. Bin sidewall condensation that rusts the bin and molds the grain, bridging, bugs, even the cases where it's not too bad but one in every 10 kernels is discolored. Why feed my hogs mildly rotten corn and then try to figure out why they're not healthy? One less variable. I dry down to 10-12% and the corn quality stays excellent at almost a year old. When grinding at 10% the dust collector likes to plug, though. Some people will say that's a waste of propane, that's alright. :)

[Necropsy]

we need to have a strategic supply of grain in America. i cant believe this is something not being done.

[mbca]

They found ancient Grain in the Egypt pyramids.
Maybe they were built for Grain storage ?

[donaldthegreat]

hold on you telling me grain is ALIVE. Jesus my vegan girlfriend is going to have a heart attack if I show this to her!

[johnbrown]

Canadian wheat, Known as 7 years Wheat.