46 / SEEDWORLD.COM JUNE 2019 FARMS ARE GETTING LARGER. Along the production chain, stakeholders are looking for ways to increase con- venience and reduce labor. Large-scale operations in particular are seeking out efficiencies, including those for grain han- dling and storage. What has happened is threefold: older generations are looking to retire and sell their farms, younger generations are taking over farms or looking to buy more land for expansion, and, as a result of the plant genetics available today, crop yields are going through the roof. Historically, producers bought decent- sized farms so they could look after their families. Growers, especially younger gen- erations, are considering how to acquire enough land to maximize the equipment on their farms. In today’s world, you can’t farm 1,000 acres with an older combine. Those increased crop yields combined with today’s equipment mean produc- ers are taking bushels off at a pace we’ve never seen before. An operation may have two semi-trailers sitting at the end of a field while a tractor with a 1000- or even 2,000-bushel grain cart takes the crop off from four different combines. In the past, hopper bins dominated the landscape. However, today’s produc- ers don’t want to move an auger from one 4,000-bushel bin to another. Thus, over the past few years, these large-scale producers have found convenience, effi- ciency and have decreased labor require- ments by installing large, flat bottom bins and split hopper combos. With semi's rolling in with grain, produc- ers are putting up 25,000- to 40,000- bushel flat bottom bins. These large bins are the most economical way per bushel to store grain and they save producers from constantly moving augers at harvest. If they’re building a number of these bins, large-scale growers will also put in grain handling systems. A grain dryer may be located at the end of the bins with a grain leg filling the bins. Some producers have a grain loop, so they don’t have to feed the bins from each bin with an auger: they have a complete grain handling system set up on the farm. I’m seeing more big operations looking for these types of efficiencies. For example, a producer can drive a semi over the pit on one end of the bins, the grain leg takes the grain up and drops it into the bins. TrendsinStorageandHandling YouShouldKnowAbout Other large-scale operations are moving in a slightly different direction. A few years ago, a grower told me if he could lay his hands on a couple of 10,000-bushel hopper combos, he’d never put up another large, flat bottom bin. Now, 10,000-bushel split hopper combos have become very popular in some regions. No one could have predicted the popu- larity of these hopper combos five years ago because it’s much more economi- cal per bushel to build flat bottom bins. However, cost isn’t the only consideration. Corporate producers are looking for con- venience, efficiencies, and ways to reduce labor and installing 10,000-bushel split hopper combos satisfies all of these needs. For example, all that is required to clean out these large hopper combos is to turn the handle and open the gate to empty the bin. When no more grain comes out, a rubber mallet is used to tap the sides of the hopper cone and the bin is emptied. It’s more convenient and involves much less labor than maintaining and cleaning flat bottom bins. The importance of having on-site stor- age is increasing, particularly for captur- ing the best prices on crops. Some crop contracts include strong incentives for storing on site. As operations grow in size, producers are looking at their storage options and cost may not be the only incentive: convenience and ease may be the deciding factors. KEN PIERSON SALES AND PRODUCT MANAGER, MERIDIAN MANUFACTURING kpierson@meridianmfg.com meridianmfg.com