[lanwickum]

I was reading an article about burying your grain for storage until the price comes up. Dig a hole, line it in plastic and bury it. Then just monitor for gopher and rabbit holes and such. Article was about when some did this in Australia years ago because prices were so bad. Barley was $70/ton. Some sold it years later for $400/ton.
Best stradegy yet. I have figured if the price is good enough sell it and be happy. Well it is bad enough, don't sell it and be happy?

 

[whtbaron]

I seem to recall a story about a brand new Plymouth Fury getting buried in a community time capsule in the late 50's. A few years ago they went back and dug it up to check out their "still new" car that had been carefully preserved from time. The capsule leaked and the result wasn't pretty. I don't think I could sleep with a ticking time bomb under my feet. When I was feeding pigs I had a similar strategy but above ground. If barley was below $4/bu it stayed in the bin until I fed it and I reduced the next year's seeded acreage. If it was above $4 I sold the excess and planted more.

 

[farmingsk]

We tried digging a hole the other day to bury some brush. Got down a foot and it started to fill with water. I don't think this scheme would work too well for us.

 

[montana]

I could go almost 500 feet before I had to worry about water.....my ? Would be how do you uncover the top.

 

[bussard]

Run good grain storage bins and it's the same concept... Did this back in the nintys when durum was selling under two dollars, ten years latter sold it for 12, paid grain storage and expanded it to three times, with wheat as low as it is, it's looking like another save year

 

[adsinaus]

Around "here" it's been done quite successfully but we've got rolling hills and granite soil that drains well = the concern of it spoiling from water leaking in is a lot less. I haven't done it myself but from talking to those that have the basic process seems to be Step 1 dig trench into the side of a hill, step 2 line with plastic, step 3 fill with grain, step 4 cover with dirt (deep enough so rabbits etc can't access/ machinery driving over won't damage) wait until price improves or you need to access grain again and reverse the process. Also make sure that the floor slopes forward so that any water trapped under the plastic can drain out and not build up.

 

[jt]

I've heard of some farmers doing it years ago, but I also heard of one guy that did it and several years later forgot where it was buried!

 

[deetwocat]

How do you pay any bills with no income from crop why don't you buy some puts or calls and play the market

 

[lambear]

How do you pay any bills with no income from crop why don't you buy some puts or calls and play the market

That seems a little easier..

 

[adsinaus]

How do you pay any bills with no income from crop why don't you buy some puts or calls and play the market

The operators I know also have livestock as a reasonable % of their operation, so having physical product which can used during drought etc. or as cheap feed at a later price to put through animals was a strategy for them. Very difficult if you don't have those options, although you can always sell enough for cash and store the rest-but as you've said in that case you may be better playing the market

 

[meritmat]

or sell the **** and ***** about low prices like everbody else

 

[Fena farms]

For me it's the exact opposite I scrape up all the grain from the dirt to pay bills

 

[lanwickum]

In reality as everyone knows, I have to pay bills. I have to sell grain or get a loan on it. I am still trying to sell barley from last year and need the space. At this point I will be loosing money on that grain after my landlord gets his share and the expenses come out.

 

[noacres]

How do you get the dirt off the top of the plastic without ripping into it, for loading out later on?

 

[silverrod]

Use an excavator to empty. I have 200t oats buried. I lined it with an old silo bag. The beauty of burying is that you don't have to worry about weevils . We put them on a sandy rise. I have known people who have pulled out grain 15 years old and it is still fresh. I suppose it depends on your sub soils

 

[jrsharpe]

Burying combine

A bit off topic but I heard a story about a guy who had a pretty new combine. He dug a hole and braced it with timbers and actually buried his combine. He then claimed it stolen. Insurance got him a new machine which he ran for five years. He then sold that combine and dug the old one up. Then he had some kind of mechanical issue and when trying to get parts gave the dealer the serial number which didn't match and some how it escalated to the point of him getting charged with insurance fraud.

Maybe it's just one of those old wives tales, but still an interesting yarn.