By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

EDON, Ohio — Grains that spend considerable time in storage bins run the risk of hurting their own market value. AgriDry, a company in northwestern Ohio, discovered a way of letting gravity do the work of storing the grain and its byproduct evenly and efficiently. The firm also found a way to monitor that grain.

The rotating gravity Grain Spreader and Bullseye Controller are two devices that can help maintain the grain supply at peak quality, from field to processor.

“The grain spreader distributes the grain evenly in the storage bin to promote free flow air throughout,” said Eli Troyer, AgriDry founder. “Traditionally, fine particles and foreign material tend to congregate in the center of the bin, thus restricting airflow. That makes the grain heat up and deteriorate quickly.

“With the uniform spreading, there’s less chance of hot spots. In addition, the grain spreader requires no electricity.”

Most grain must be dried to within a narrow range of moisture: As close as possible to 15 percent. Traditionally that’s been done with heat, and Troyer said that’s been proven to do more harm than good.

“A farmer needs to dry the grain with air, not heat, and you want to use only enough heat to lower the humidity, yet dry it at the right moisture,” he said. “The ideal way to dry grain is with air at the ambient outdoor temperature and humidity blown through the grain.

“The Bullseye Controller monitors the inside and outside conditions and can activate the drying fans as needed for the ideal conditions. The process can even be operated from a PC (computer) and be controlled wirelessly from up to 40 miles away.”

With the current demand of the livestock feed, human food, ethanol and seed industries, most grain is shipped four to six months after harvest. This results in much longer storage time than has been standard in the past.

At the grain elevator, grain that falls below established quality standards is discounted, resulting in less money per bushel. Ethanol plants have surprisingly high standards as well, and have been known to reject loads that don’t meet certain specifications.
“We have the products for grain handlers to be able to manage and maintain the quality in their bins,” said Clynt Walker, AgriDry customer service representative. “With these two products, it allows them to know if they have quality grain in their bins, giving them a premium price when they go to sell their grain.

“With our technology, we’re able to reward the farmer with the hard work he’s putting into production.”

AgriDry is located on state Route 20 in Edon, Ohio. Contact the company at 419-459-4399 or visit its booth at the National Farm Machinery Show to learn more.