Homestead Grain Storage Shed

[NHmitch]

We actually just bought 2 tons of Barley seed, and we are growing it as fodder for our animals, and it has to last us about a year. We looked into multiple options, and the first I considered was using IBC totes, and we then found that they would not fit in the space that I needed them to, so I bought 55 gallon poly drums. They can be completely sealed from moisture, and I have two cats living where they will be stored, so hopefully rodents will not be an issue. I am looking into the dry ice idea, to remove the air. Each 55 gallon barrel, cost $5 used. I purchased them from a John Deere Tractor dealer who had used them for other purposes, and sold the barrels after they had been cleaned.. People around us use them all the time for sap collection to produce maple syrup.
It was very difficult locating organic, non-treated seed, non-cooked seed that will germinate. I originally ordered 1 ton directly through the USDA service center near us, and the seed that they sent, came from Canada, and even though the seed was marked certified organic, and made it through Canadian and US customs, it was treated heavily with very strong germicide, and herbicide that was developed by Bayer Pharmaceuticals. The reason I found this out was after initially mixing it with our bleach water solution, my arm was coated with the treatment, and It resulted in a chemical burn on my right arm, from my hand, to my shoulder. It turned out that the seed, with the treatment on it, required a suit with a respirator to handle it, and even after planted it would not be safe for humans, or livestock to walk on for 5 weeks.

In short, be very, very careful when buying your seed, because we were promised that ours was untreated. It came directly from the USDA, and it was the exact opposite of what we had ordered, and it would have most likely killed our animals if it had been fed to them after our 8 day growing cycle.

 

[powerpace]

We actually just bought 2 tons of Barley seed, and we are growing it as fodder for our animals, and it has to last us about a year. We looked into multiple options, and the first I considered was using IBC totes, and we then found that they would not fit in the space that I needed them to, so I bought 55 gallon poly drums. They can be completely sealed from moisture, and I have two cats living where they will be stored, so hopefully rodents will not be an issue. I am looking into the dry ice idea, to remove the air. Each 55 gallon barrel, cost $5 used. I purchased them from a John Deere Tractor dealer who had used them for other purposes, and sold the barrels after they had been cleaned.. People around us use them all the time for sap collection to produce maple syrup.
It was very difficult locating organic, non-treated seed, non-cooked seed that will germinate. I originally ordered 1 ton directly through the USDA service center near us, and the seed that they sent, came from Canada, and even though the seed was marked certified organic, and made it through Canadian and US customs, it was treated heavily with very strong germicide, and herbicide that was developed by Bayer Pharmaceuticals. The reason I found this out was after initially mixing it with our bleach water solution, my arm was coated with the treatment, and It resulted in a chemical burn on my right arm, from my hand, to my shoulder. It turned out that the seed, with the treatment on it, required a suit with a respirator to handle it, and even after planted it would not be safe for humans, or livestock to walk on for 5 weeks.

In short, be very, very careful when buying your seed, because we were promised that ours was untreated. It came directly from the USDA, and it was the exact opposite of what we had ordered, and it would have most likely killed our animals if it had been fed to them after our 8 day growing cycle.

How did you find out it was treated with a Bayer Germicide and Fungicide? Are you sure the Bleach wasn't the problem? The claim of not being able to walk on it for 5 weeks sounds a little off. I have handled pretty much every type of treated seed there is and that's a tough set of handleing requirements.

 

[Depmandog]

The key to long term grain storage is moisture content and temperature. The MC should be below 14% (certain grains might be a point or two lower), and keeping grain temps 10-15 degrees cooler than outside air; and storing at 20-25 (grain temp) degrees during winter.

Temps and MC content are taken from several locations, at depth - not at surface. This should be done daily at harvest and twice monthly during storage.

Farmers who store grain onsite will have one bin that slowly drys the grain with forced air drying systems. These bins have internal mechanisms that keep the grain moving during the process. One the grain is dried to the target MC, it will be transferred into a holding bin for long term storage. Grains that are dried too quickly (too high of heat) are damaged.

If I recall correctly, there have been studies done by universities that show bug losses decrease significantly during long term storage by maintaining the proper MC. Check your university extension service, or repeat the search in a farming heavy state like Iowa or Nebraska. Bound to be a lot of useful info from their extension service.

Good luck, sounds like a neat project.

 

[NHmitch]

How did you find out it was treated with a Bayer Germicide and Fungicide? Are you sure the Bleach wasn't the problem? The claim of not being able to walk on it for 5 weeks sounds a little off. I have handled pretty much every type of treated seed there is and that's a tough set of handleing requirements.

It had an emergency number sewn into the label. I contacted them, and found that it was treated with Vita-Flo 280, and I spoke directly with their chemical control hotline. They were the ones who gave me the information regarding the product, and they stated that the chemical burns would have been from direct contact with the product. The bleach mixture was only a splash of bleach to 5 gallons of water. Below are screenshots from the information that Bayer sent me from the seed that we had received, and Item Number 10 on the precautions refers to the Treated Barley that we received. The contact irritation only lasted a day, and was like a mild sunburn, but the seed was mis-sent, and not properly labeled, and not what we ordered, or what the USDA had ordered through the seed program. It incorrectly shipped, and labeled. There is a big difference between Barley that is treated to be planted, and what can be grown to feed as fodder, or mixed dry in feed. The MSDS advises using a respirator, and the precautions and if you read the full MSDS, it has a full page of nasty chemicals in it. Luckily we caught the error in time. http://www.uap.ca/products/documents/Vitaflo280MSDSE.pdf

 

[59 Sons]

In short, be very, very careful when buying your seed, because we were promised that ours was untreated. It came directly from the USDA, and it was the exact opposite of what we had ordered, and it would have most likely killed our animals if it had been fed to them after our 8 day growing cycle.

Duely noted, thanks for the warning and experience.

 

[59 Sons]

The key to long term grain storage is moisture content and temperature. The MC should be below 14% (certain grains might be a point or two lower), and keeping grain temps 10-15 degrees cooler than outside air; and storing at 20-25 (grain temp) degrees during winter.

Temps and MC content are taken from several locations, at depth - not at surface. This should be done daily at harvest and twice monthly during storage.

Wow, this is excelent information, I think I can achieve the target temps by locating the grain shed in the shadow of my barn, and I have power there in case the temp creeps up. I will invest in a good moisture meter and make sure the grain is at the desired MC when I buy it. Very helpfull. I will continue to confirm the specifics at the local Ag Dept. and grain elevator. Thank you for posting.

 

[powerpace]

It had an emergency number sewn into the label. I contacted them, and found that it was treated with Vita-Flo 280, and I spoke directly with their chemical control hotline. They were the ones who gave me the information regarding the product, and they stated that the chemical burns would have been from direct contact with the product. The bleach mixture was only a splash of bleach to 5 gallons of water. Below are screenshots from the information that Bayer sent me from the seed that we had received, and Item Number 10 on the precautions refers to the Treated Barley that we received. The contact irritation only lasted a day, and was like a mild sunburn, but the seed was mis-sent, and not properly labeled, and not what we ordered, or what the USDA had ordered through the seed program. It incorrectly shipped, and labeled. There is a big difference between Barley that is treated to be planted, and what can be grown to feed as fodder, or mixed dry in feed. The MSDS advises using a respirator, and the precautions and if you read the full MSDS, it has a full page of nasty chemicals in it. Luckily we caught the error in time. http://www.uap.ca/products/documents/Vitaflo280MSDSE.pdf

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Now I get it!!!!

 

[NHmitch]

It was kind of nasty stuff, but it the funny part was one of the binding ingredients use to used with alcoholics to make you sick if your drank. They told me not to drink for 24 hours. I know that the military use to use it on troops, and I am glad that they didn't when I was in!

Now I get it!!!!

 

[Toekneeserrano]

there is a grain storage shed here in Yakima that was build in the 50s by hand with wood... the old man that built it died in 91.... we went to an estate sale there recently and the grain from 91 was still in that shed dry and looking good as ever... if I wouldnt have seen it I wouldnt have believed it...