Coming into 2014 I have three acres in Cereal rye and two acres in Spelt. These were planted last fall and will be ready to harvest in several months. I plan on using this harvest to acquire enough seed to plant a larger amount of acreage this fall. My family and critters will eat some as well.

In anticipation of the spelt harvest we are switching from white wheat flour to spelt. We had tried switching to whole wheat in the past, but it didn’t go over well with us. So far we have found the spelt to be much better. While bleached factory flour does taste slightly better in some cooking, the health advantages of spelt outweigh the difference, and spelt is better for some cooking. Spelt is hands down better than whole wheat in my opinion. We are looking forward to spelt independence day in a couple months.

This year will be the first year I can go field scale with Smoke Signals popcorn. After building up for several years through two bad droughts I finally have enough popcorn seed to plant an acre or two. I currently plan on tilling under about 1 acre of cereal rye to plant the popcorn into. It will be a field close to the house so I can keep an eye on the field, and cultivate it with the chicken powered cultivators. I will also plant more popcorn by the garden.

I will be breaking ground on more acreage this year. One acre by the house will be grazed until mid summer, then plowed under and planted in buckwheat. That fall after the buckwheat has been harvested I will move apple seedlings into what will become the future orchard.

I am really looking forward to this year and what it will be like on our larger acreage. We will need to buy or build something to store some of the harvest in as we only have one grain bin. We are planning to add one grain bin or other grain storage device a year until we get to capacity. We currently have a large (for us) grain bin and a circular concrete foundation for a missing corn crib. Adding another bin using the concrete slab will be easy, adding additional bins will be harder as we will have to pour the concrete and decide their location.

I plan on getting all my fields into the same crop rotation for the most part. That will make the best use of the large grain bin and as a plus I will only have to setup my combine to harvest the main crop one time.

As I am only planting open pollinated varieties I plan to save seed until the next rotation of that crop. It means I will have to store several bushels of every variety I intend to plant. In order to store that much seed I need to come up with a good storage plan. I have considered barrels, homemade bins, small grain bins and bulk feed bins to get the job done.

Looking into the future I don’t think I will have more than 30 acres under cultivation. Just for figuring in order to plant a 30 acre field I would need somewhere around 60 bushels. I would also want to store enough for personal use until that variety comes into the rotation again. So for each crop I would need to store around 100 bushels. Not a large amount compared to modern farms.

I don’t think grain bins are a very viable option mainly due to space and looks. I don’t want to dot my landscape with a dozen or so small grain bins. Although a possibility is to put several of the grain bins on the back of the property out of sight. Buying small grain bins would probably be the cheapest option as there is no demand for them. I will be adding atleast one more grain bin for bulk grain storage after harvest.

Another possibility is to build a wooden grain bulk bin out of lumber and plywood. This option has some advantages as I think the wood structure if built right would keep the grain in better condition. I could also build it to suite my needs, and I could always add capacity and it could be infinitely added to. This option would probably cost more than old grain bins, but would be more compact and look better.

Yet another option is to use bulk feed bins. If I could find some used this option could be affordable, if I have to buy new it could get costly. The bulk bins have the advantage of taking up less space than a conventional grain bin and are also easier to erect. With the ability for the grain to flow right out of the bottom without a need for an auger is another advantage.

I have also considered using wagons to store the grain. I have seen others build a roof over the wagon so you don’t have to store them under cover. The wagons could be moved around as needed, and would also be easier to resell if I no longer need them. This option would cost about as much as building a wood grain bin.

Since my large bin can hold about 5,000 bushels I am in no danger of outgrowing it in the near future. It has a ventilated floor and also has a propane dryer. While I will most likely use the aeration system, I hope to never need the propane dryer. The bin is setup with a floor auger as well as an overhead auger to load trucks. It also has a spreader at the top of the bin to keep the grain evenly spread while loading. It is also setup for a sweep auger that is missing. When my grandpa built it he went all out.

My plan is to use the big bin to store the current crop. If the crop needs drying it can handle the job. With the auger setup it will be easy to unload. When the grain has been sold down to the amount I need I will then transfer the remaining amount to a smaller storage bin to keep it for my own use. The large grain bin will then be ready for the next harvest.

I would like to add a second bin of about 1000 bushel to the concrete slab. That way if I don’t sell the grain in the big bin by the next harvest I have somewhere else to store a larger amount of grain.

What I am currently planning on growing is spelt, oats, popcorn, corn, cowpeas, cereal rye, buckwheat, sunflowers and two types of wheat. I will also be testing other crops and growing cover crops as well. I am sure it will take several years before I know what suites me best.