Government-Built Machine Shop

Government-Built Machine Shop FARM SHOP Miscellaneous 8-3-9 "It's a deal no farmer should pass up," says Ron Flatt, a Hallsville, Mo., farmer who took advantage of government grain storage checks for corn held in reserve to pay for a new machine shed and shop. Flatt explains that he had a dual problem last year. He had grain to store in the reserve program but he didn't want to build any more grain bins. Since he needed a shop and additional machinery storage, he decided to put up a conventional building and let the grain storage payments pay for it. Morton Buildings, Inc., put up the 66 by 106-ft. building that now holds 70,000 bu. of corn. In order to hold the grain, he had to add a special Morton temporary grain storage package that sells for $6,200. "I received 26 1/2 cents per bushel per year to store the grain in reserve. If I had held it the full three years of the program, it would have more than paid for the building," Flatt told FARM SHOW. The building and grain package cost $50,000. If Flatt had not built the shop he would have stored the grain commercially. Then, he says, not only would he have nothing to show for having held all the grain, but he would have to pay out an additional 13 to 14 cents per bushel. The grain package Morton offers consists of reinforced sidewalls, and braces and cables to protect the building sidewalls from the weight of the grain. Flatt had to dry his grain dryer than normal and installed two aeration fans to maintain even temperatures in the big grain pile. He says it took longer to fill the building than grain bins and it will take longer to empty it. "Once this corn is released we plan to use one end for a shop and the other end for either machinery storage, or to store grain when needed," says Flatt, Also, since cost-share regulation may change, check with your local ASCS before you go ahead with a proposed machinery-grain storage building.

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