Which Alberta farmers are buying dryers????

[farming101]

LEP, I agree.

Grain has to stay in condition. Producers need to keep control of their product until they want to sell. Producers will stand for the risk and will usually be rewarded.
To be able to market an entire harvest of tough grain and make a profit greater than the on farm cost to condition it is dreaming. In fact this harvest proved that. Tough grain turned away on the driveway.
Now it's out of condition or the producer is forced to take it home and try and keep it in condition till a market is found, if there is one.
Then worry about it all the time. Forget it. I like a good night's rest.

To add to Bucket's last comment: To spend the capital to install a dryer at an elevator and then never use it is really bad business

[redleaf]

I agree wholeheartedly with LEP. I already am uncomfortable with dealing with line companies and terminals so don’t want to rely on them to handle my tough/wet grain issues “at their convenience”.

[blackpowder]

Our nearby loop track leaves the engines on. Dropped off one night, gone the next. RRs won't have engines sitting.
Agree it's shitty for some of the older loading points. And regions.
Walmart gains efficiency by having ready to sell products put on their shelves.
So far... local bids do reflect the efficiencies. As long as that still happens through open competition.
New dryers really only a younger generation benefit. Cheap then.
Unused likely only in a prolonged dry pattern here.
If it makes anyone feel better I looked at application. Dryer upgrades only. Not new install. And only energy efficiency upgrades not capacity. A few parts that's it. Monitor cables for bins covered though.

[Maver]

Don't depend on the terminal to dry your grain. I farm in NE sask, there are 6 terminals within 60km of me and they all have dryers. During a wet harvest they are stuffed full of wet grain and having them take your grain when you want to deliver it is difficult. Cost of drying is also a big factor. The terminals charge between 4 and 10 times what it costs me to dry. I'm on single phase and propane. When you and all your neighbors have wet grain the drying charges seem to rise, grain co s don't mind making a little more money off of farmers in desperate situations. Pickup an old batch dryer at an auction, heated aeration, a used continuous dryer or go buy a new one. It will pay for itself several times over.

[fjlip]

Agree, major reason we started drying on this farm in 1974 is to be able to harvest at all. To keep grain in storable moisture, to gain a grade, save DAMP deductions. Then in 1985 natural gas, (thanks Grant), and on farm drying has made the difference between profitability or bankruptcy. Best investment highest return by far. Or to sleep at night. Of course all my results are based on a 46 year investment history, may not apply today. And elevators had NO dryers back then. As a side higher humidity in NE Sk. rarely allows drying with fans.

[Guest]

Bucket , i wouldnt ever consider farming without a dryer . There are benefits you dont even think of besides the obvious ones
There is still the odd farm here without a dryer but they are few and far between
Couldnt begin to count the times we wouldnt of went to the field if we didnt have one , only to find its dry after the wet bin is full
It counts for way more than an extra combine
We start drying on day one and it costs about half a cent a bu to dry in august
Wouldnt have it any other way

[bucket]

yes I understand what you are saying and have thought about a dryer over the years.....but this was the exception for damp grain not the rule...

I think about it to maybe be able to save a grade if the weather was turning...the difference this year was the crop was still immature when we should have normally been combining....then the weather did not co-operate .

in 30 years plus all the years prior on dad's farm and his experience ...a dryer wasn't needed....but times change...

its something on the list....

[shtferbrains]

IMHO when you are shopping tough or damp grain you are asking for bids on distressed product.

If the buyer can handle it, it's a buying opportunity because very few will bid on it.

It's like taking sick calves to the market because you don't want them to die at home.

Never ends well.