The Official Newspaper of Manchester and Delaware County, Iowa

                      Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Corn pile to be gone by Christmas
Brian Cook

BRIAN COOK / The Press
Innovative Ag Services has started piling corn on the ground along Hwy 13 on the west side of Manchester. The plan calls for the pile to hold 400,000 bushels until it can be shipped.
Steve Timp, location manager in Manchester for Innovative Ag Services discussed with the City Council his company’s plans for temporary grain storage on the concrete surface of the KannFab Building, which burned down earlier this year.

Timp explained at a special meeting of the council on Tuesday, that Innovative Ag was running out of storage room. He said the plan was to pile 400,000 bushels or about the equivalent of 400 semi loads on the concrete uncovered.
Innovative Ag started piling the corn last week, and Timp said it should be complete by Nov. 4.

They hope the corn won’t have to remain on the ground for long, planning to have it all picked up by Christmas. Timp said picking up the corn could take three or four weeks and is dependent on weather and markets. Innovative Ag has leased the property through the end of January.

Timp said this is the first time his company has had to make a corn pile in Manchester. Innovative Ag also has uncovered piles in Central City and Monticello and potentially could build a pile in Farley.
They also have several covered piles at different locations.

Timp said the storage problem is being caused by an increased yield in the number of bushels being harvested, plus the amount of old crop carryover left in storage from last year. Hurricane Katrina is also to blame for the problem since there is not any river traffic going down the Mississippi at this time.

Timp says they hope to keep shrinkage from the extra handling of the grain at three to four percent. He said the cool weather will help keep the corn in good condition and will help it form a crust on top.

The Council was worried that the corn pile could cause a nuisance to other businesses in the area. Some questioned if it would attract rodents or other pests to feed off the grain. Timp explained that the pests should not move locations at this time of year, and that Innovative Ag services would address any problems caused by the temporary pile.

Innovative Ag services drafted a letter that was sent out to adjacent businesses by the City of Manchester.


109 E. Delaware - P.O. Box C - Manchester, Iowa 52057
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Copyright Manchester Press 2005

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