To Bag or Not to Bag?

John Peterson would rather have permanent grain storage. But grain bags suit his needs just fine for now.

Peterson and his father, Steve, farm about 1,500 acres of corn and soybeans near Wakonda, S.D. Five years ago, harvest found them with more grain than bin space because they had picked up some extra ground. They also didn't have enough trucks, drivers or time to wait in line at an elevator in town.

So the Petersons bought a GrainLogix bagging system from Loftness. The GBL 10 model will produce 300-foot-long plastic bags capable of holding 12,000 to 15,000 bushels. The Petersons loaded 20% moisture corn, and next spring and summer unloaded it to put through a drier or to air dry. It was in fine shape.

Since 2009, Peterson says he has put about 850,000 bushels of corn into bags for his farm and for custom-harvest customers. "We're glad we got it [a bagging system]," he says.

IMPORTED IDEA

Grain bags recently have been making inroads in North America after years of service in South America and Australia. They provide a temporary stopping place for grain when permanent storage is scarce or fields are far from home.

"They work very well when grain is dry," says Ken Hellevang, professor of Biosystems Engineering, at North Dakota State University. But he cautions that wet grain -- 25% moisture and above -- could spoil in grain bags, especially in warm weather.

If you have to store wet grain in bags, Hellevang recommends orienting the bags north and south to even out solar heating. East- and west-oriented bags tend to create airflow inside, which spreads moisture and encourages fermentation.

Dan Davidson, contributing agronomist for DTN/The Progressive Farmer, has another caution. Five years ago, he tested grain bags on his farm. "If you ever tried setting up a grain bag, you realize it takes three men to do the job."

Indeed, grain bag technology seems a bit complicated. It involves wrestling a 300-pound bag around a hoop frame, securing it with bungees, rolling it out and staking it down with 2-by-4s.

Peterson says he and his father have had enough practice setting up grain bags that the two of them can handle the job easily.

RECYCLE BAGS

Davidson also wondered what to do with that huge plastic bag when finished with it. Recycling companies are beginning to catch up with the grain bag phenomenon, and the province of Saskatchewan has had a recycling program since 2011.

Unloading is as much a part of the process as loading. Peterson says this part of the job goes quickly, once you are practiced at it. "It unloads as fast as you can fill a semi ... in five or six minutes," he says.

Rodents and other forms of wildlife present problems, Hellevang says. "You have to monitor bags closely and tape holes quickly."

List price for a Loftness 10-foot grain bag loader is $28,584. List price for a Loftness 10-foot grain bag unloader is $40,224. Bag prices tend to fluctuate, but a 10- by 300-foot grain bag may have a list price around $975. Bags are not reusable.

(BAS)

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