Many people confuse grain bins with silos, but they are different structures serving different purposes.

- Grain Bins are the large metal structure you see on many farms. They are used to store corn, soybeans, or other grains.
- Grain Bins are larger than silos and have pointed roofs. They are silver when new but turn gray over time.
- Most Silos are made of tan or grey concrete. Some have a round metal roof.
- Many of the Silos you see on today’s farms are no longer in use. As they were built when more farms had cattle.
- Silos were built to hold silage. A wet feed made from chopped green corn plants.
- Harvestore Silos are skinny, blue silos. They are blue because the mineral cobalt is used in the outside coating of glass-infused steel.
- Harvestore Silos are built to be air-tight. Which means outside air cannot dry or spoil the feed.
- Like other Silos, many Harvestore Silos are no longer in use. If you see both cattle and Harvestores on a farm, chances are those silos are still used.
- All Harvestore Silos were (and still are) built in DeKalb, Illinois!
From the DeKalb County Farm Bureau’s July Connections publication.
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5 Comments
Hmmm I never knew the difference. Thank you for clarifying.
Recently I have noticed not many of the concrete silo’s top’s are on them anymore. I wonder if they blew off or were taken off and what they did with the metal? Anybody have any idea?.
A bad windstorm usually was the culprit for removing silo tops, they became scrap metal once they hit the ground, and if the silo was not being used, it cost too much to put on a new top.
Jeremy Lloyd, bet you already know this Christle North
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Chris Roupe