The Cornmobile A Silo On Wheels

The Cornmobile A Silo On Wheels CROP STORAGE Silos (50) 6-5-1 One of the best "spoilage-proof" ideas we've seen for holding and handling high moisture corn from an oxygen-limiting silo is the "Cornmobile", developed by Tom Manning, Dover, Minn. This "silo on wheels" allows you to haul and store up to 100 bu. of rolled or whole kernel corn for up to 30 days while feeding it to livestock. "It's great for the farmer who wants to feed high moisture corn to live stock, located several miles away from the silo," says Manning. "I've had farmers store 30% moisture feed in the Cornmobile up to 30 days during the hot days of August, as well as during the coldest days last winter, without any heating or freezing of the wet corn. I think it could safely store high-moisture feed even longer during months with moderate temperatures." The Cornmobile stands 7 ft. high above the tandem axle trailer, is 5 1/2 ft. wide and 8 ft. long. Manning says that some farmers have pulled the loaded Cornmobile down the road behind a pickup at regular road speeds. Side panels of the Cornmobile are made of two 1/4 in. sheets of plywood with 1 1/2 in. of urethane foam in between for insulation. There are two, 18 in. square doors on top with gaskets that tightly seal the corn from oxygen, and allow for quick, easy loading of corn into the unit from a permanent silo storage facility. Leon Holst, Goodhue, Minn., uses a prototype Cornmobile to haul high moisture rolled corn to young stock 1 1/2 miles away from his silo. "I'm real happy with it. I've stored corn for a long as a month and it's just as cold and fresh when we take it out as when we put it in," he told FARM SHOW. Plainview, Minn., farmer, Hugh Young, had some corn in a silo 3/4 of a mile from his home farm. He used the Cornmobile for hauling high moisture shelled corn back to his dairy and young stock. "The longest I kept corn in the cornmobile was 4 days. It's a great way to preserve high moisture corn when moving it to another area," he notes. Manning believes the Cornmobile is especially suited for the farmer with high moisture storage who buys or rents a neighboring farm with no storage. He can use the Cornmobile to haul high moisture corn to dairy, beef, hogs or poultry at the new place. The dairy farmer who has his milking parlor a great distance from his central feed storage and bunk can use the Cornmobile to feed high moisture corn in the parlor without having to build another feed-storage area. "If you're strictly a cash grain farmer, you don't have to burn up dollars drying corn or other grain. Store it high moisture and sell it to livestock and poultry producers within a 10 to 15 mile radius, delivered by Cornmobile. For every 1,000 bu. of corn stored with natural moisture in it, you sell 1,000 bu. If you dry it, you sell approximately 850 bu.," Manning points out. Two 4 in. augers run through the Cornmobile for unloading. The augers have airtight caps and can be powered by electricity, pto or a 2 hp gas engine. Between the augers, inside the unit, is a V-shaped ridge that aids feed flow and helps prevent feed from bridging inside. Attached to the Cornmobile is a concentrate blender to allow for mixing while unloading. The transport is tandem to minimize "bounce" when in transit. The smooth ride helps minimize packing of the corn as it's moved from one location to another, allowing it to gravity feed ù without bridging ù into the bottom unloading augers. Manning plans to market the Cornmobile, pending further evaluation and testing of prototype units now in the field. Production costs for the prototypes were right at $6,000 each. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Manning Futuristic Inc., P.O. Box 156, Dover, Minn. 55929 (ph 507 932-4495).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.