Corn's In! What Now?

 Grandpa Roy drives the combine to finish the corn harvest.

Where does the corn go now?

The corn is transfered to a wagon, called a gravity box, and then transported from the field. Each gravity box carries about 500 bushel of corn.

Unloading time- A door near the bottom of the gravity box is opened to release the corn which now travels up an auger into the screener.

While rotating, the screener removes broken kernels and "bees wings" (the reddish paper-like chaff from the cob).

From the screener, up the auger, to the bin. The pile on the ground is the unwanted bees wings and broken kernels.

Why is it important to remove the bees wings? Each bin is equipped with a fan and heater to dry the corn. Stored corn must be dried to insure it will not mold during storage, therefore making it unusable. Bees wings, if not removed, will form a sort-of blanket in the bin which inhibits the air flow to dry the corn.

One of our two corn bins. Each stores 10,000 bushel of corn and measures 30x19 feet.

Combining is finished for this year, and our corn is safely stored to feed our animals. Here's to another safe and successful harvest season! I think it's time for a milk break. Won't you join me?

Learn more about dairy and farm life at Dairy Makes Sense.