Farmers invest in grain storage and drying facilities

John Deere offers equipment for people who work the land.
John Deere offers equipment for people who work the land.
Construction firms that mainly build grain bins for farms reported a recent rise in business, The Wisconsin State Journal notes. The Landmark Services Cooperative, located in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, increased their storage capacity to 1.7 million bushels by adding two storage bins in Evansville last year. The co-op also debuted a financing program this spring, for growers who would like to construct their own storage and drying bins.

"The cry is out there, so we want to help fill that need," Heather Benson, spokeswoman for Landmark, told the news source. "We saw producers last fall with the high grain prices looking for options. The need is definitely there."

For the fall harvest this year, Dean Manthe of Windsor, Wisconsin, will have built bins to hold an additional 115,000 bushels of corn and to dry 1,000 bushels of corn per hours on his 1,800-acre farm.

John Deere provides agricultural equipment such as the 1890 No-Till Air Drill for farmers to care for their crops, whether they are storing and drying them in their own or a second party's facilities. For building the bins, Deere also offers used construction equipment to farmers, cooperatives or construction companies.