Grain Bin Safety: Rules Jesse Should Live By

We dig into grain bin safety and the mindset traps that lead to bad choices, then lay out practical steps to cool, vent, and core stored corn so it keeps through winter. The message is simple: your life is worth more than a full bin and a faster harvest.

• harvest fatigue and rushing tempt risky shortcuts
• why “I’ve done it before” thinking is dangerous
• don’t enter bins under any circumstance
• harness up and tie off on ladders and catwalks
• installing or using tie-off points on older and newer bins
• the physics of flowing grain and suffocation risk
• cooling hot-dumped corn with fans in cold weather
• venting humid air at the peak to prevent crust
• scheduling coring to remove fines and maintain airflow
• monitoring temperature, moisture, and conditions
• local harvest wrap-up and hybrid standability notes
• a reminder to trust intuition and slow down

Reach out to us. Our email is farmersgreatestasset at gmail.com. Find us on all of the socials, go out and follow us, like us, and share with a friend. At farmers greatest asset

Transcript

Harvest Fatigue And Late Start

SPEAKER_02 0:16

The Farmer's Greatest Asset Podcast. We believe the Farmers Greatest Asset is the Farmer. Their knowledge, experience, mind, and health. Welcome to the podcast. I'm Jesse.

SPEAKER_00 0:41

And I'm Dr. Leah.

SPEAKER_02 0:43

Well, it is actually Thursday morning.

SPEAKER_00 0:46

We are late.

SPEAKER_02 0:47

We're running a little behind. But that's how it goes on the farm. Oh just roll with it.

SPEAKER_00 0:57

We are tired.

Grain Bin Safety Wake-Up Call

SPEAKER_02 1:00

Harvest is taking its toll on everybody, I believe. Oh yeah. So we are plugging along. We can see the finish line. It's there. So now we're just uh topping off the bins and making all that stuff full. Um, so that's kind of the the topic for today. Your grain bins. So this morning I went to the bins to uh check how full they are. And now I'm more out because I climbed the bin three times and climbed in the bin. But as I was in the bin, I thought nice little workout. Yeah, in the cold, even got my cold workout in this morning.

SPEAKER_00 1:47

Not a cold plunge, cold workout.

SPEAKER_02 1:49

Yep. But as I was in the bin, I thought, well, there it is, grain bin safety. Let's talk about it. So uh yeah, I climbed into bin. Probably shouldn't have.

SPEAKER_00 2:01

But so that was you said that to me this morning, and that was my first thought. Like, why are you climbing in the bin? And then what was your response? Uh probably shouldn't have. So I I want to say, like, men have intuition as well. And when you're like, yeah, I probably shouldn't have done that, yeah. You think like, yeah. Hmm. Hmm. So why do we not listen to ourselves when we have those thoughts and feelings, like, I probably shouldn't do this, but I'm going to anyway.

SPEAKER_02 2:37

Yeah, I don't know. It won't happen to us, right?

SPEAKER_00 2:42

Right. Now, if there is a couple that can prove that wrong, I I think we have a good record with that. Like, that won't happen to us.

SPEAKER_02 2:53

So, yes, we are going to buy a safety harness. That's gonna be the first thing. Second thing is probably don't climb in the bin. Maybe that should be first.

SPEAKER_00 3:04

No, uh yeah, that don't climb in the bin should be number one. Safety harness should definitely be like right there.

SPEAKER_02 3:11

So we are gonna buy a safety harness. You can go to U-line and even if it's even if it's 500 bucks or a thousand bucks, we're gonna buy a safety harness, if not two.

SPEAKER_00 3:26

Yeah, I thought that as I'm going up the bin yesterday, thank God it was stairs. If and I'm like, it is super windy, and you get to the top and you're on that platform, and and it it was really windy up there.

SPEAKER_02 3:40

Yeah, it was. So these newer bins actually have a tie-off eye bolt right there. So it's silly that we don't have a safety harness because they're there. If you have older bins, you can add that safety tie-off, just get a big U-bolt, put it in there so you have a spot to tie off to. Uh, so that's the first thing we're gonna do is get a safety harness. Um, so I climbed in there because the spreader was not spreading correctly and or evenly, I should say. So I wanted to make sure that it was gonna fill evenly. So it was fresh corn. Um, so there shouldn't have been a pocket there, and there wasn't.

SPEAKER_00 4:26

Don't ever get in the bin again. Oh my gosh. Are we really talking about this right now? Like, I'm about ready to freak out just right now.

unknown 4:37

Right.

Harness Up And Tie Off

SPEAKER_02 4:39

So, yes, quit going in the bin. That's my advice to myself and to everybody else. Quit going in the bin. It's not worth it. Um, yeah, it's as simple as that. I can see the fear on Leah's face right now. Luckily we have um not knowing anybody that's been trapped. Um but it happens quickly.

SPEAKER_00 5:36

My uncle got caught in a wagon as it was unloading, kicking down corn from the sides. And I don't even remember, I was I was young. Like, so it's my uncle who's just two years older than me, and he got trapped in a in a wagon, and I remember the panic.

SPEAKER_02 6:02

And luckily your dad was around.

SPEAKER_00 6:05

Yeah, yeah. And then it was like everybody was there throwing corn out because he couldn't he couldn't breathe. Like that was I just remember like him yelling, I can't breathe. I can't breathe because the corn was impinging.

SPEAKER_02 6:23

So this was 40 years ago.

SPEAKER_00 6:26

Probably, yeah. I was he was young, I was young.

SPEAKER_02 6:30

My point is, it probably wasn't a ginormous wagon.

SPEAKER_00 6:33

No, it was a little like a 200 bushel wagon.

SPEAKER_02 6:36

Yes, and that's all it takes is a little bit of corn, and you get sucked in. It's just pressure, pressure, pressure.

SPEAKER_00 6:45

Yeah. So the story I heard was your how old he was.

SPEAKER_02 6:52

Right. I store the story I heard, your dad just opened the the gate and just let all the corn come out.

SPEAKER_00 6:58

And that may have been what happened. I don't know. I was I it that was a trauma moment, clearly.

SPEAKER_02 7:04

Obviously. Yeah. So it's not worth it. Don't don't do it. Um, even if you're climbing the bin, have a safety harness.

SPEAKER_00 7:17

Um you never been little because Phillips' not a little guy. Like when he was an adult, he wouldn't have fit through the hole.

SPEAKER_02 7:26

He is a burly dude. He makes me look little.

SPEAKER_00 7:32

And he, you know, like he was my playmate from the time I was a little little girl. It was scary. I just remember being very scared.

SPEAKER_02 7:46

Rightfully so. Think of how Philip fought felt being stuck in there.

unknown 7:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:00

It happens too often and it's it's avoidable, is the point. So let's not do it. And it's just like me this morning. I thought I'll just get in there. I'll just cause there's a ladder on the inside of our bin. I thought I'd just climb down the ladder and look in, and I walked around the bin. I've done it a million times, and that's you've done that a million times. That's what we always tell ourselves. I've done it a million times, it'll be fine.

SPEAKER_00 8:32

Just like you unloaded the cattle one at a time. Exactly. How many times?

SPEAKER_02 8:37

That's my point. Just because it worked one time doesn't mean it'll work again. And your life or somebody else's life is not worth it.

SPEAKER_00 8:53

Your life is so worth everything except that. Like the that whatever monetary value is there or bin space, like you are worth so much more than anything.

SPEAKER_02 9:08

Right. Even the$500 safety harness. Go buy two of them.

SPEAKER_00 9:18

Uline will have it here tomorrow.

A Close Call From Years Ago

SPEAKER_02 9:19

That's right. I should have just ordered it right away this morning. It'll be here in 12 hours. So moving on from that, yes. Um, don't go in there. Get a safety harness and tie off. Uh, but also uh storing your grain. So we dry corn and we actually dump hot corn into the bins, and fans are running in the bins, and we cool it off in the bins. Uh, but just because you think it's cool does not mean that it is uh properly stored. So we have turned the fans on now that it has finally cooled down. It was 32 degrees this morning when I went out.

SPEAKER_00 10:11

First frost.

SPEAKER_02 10:13

And those fans have been running for three days now, and you open the the bin that's full, you open that lid to peek in there, and it's just like the big poof of hot, wet air. So uh if it's cool in your area, I would turn the fans on, get that corn cooled down, make sure it's gonna be properly stored. Uh so if you peak your bins up, uh the top of that peak is where all of the moisture is gonna sit, and that's where the crust starts. Um, so I like to actually open the very top lid to try to get that moisture all the way out because that's the way it's gonna go. Um, but even on our corn, you can just feel that top. It's it's damp because there's still heat and moisture coming out of that. So if it's cooled off in your area, try to get that corn cooled down still. Uh and then this winter, in a month or month and a half, start core in your bins. Get that top center out of there because that is always the problem, the top center. And just because the fan's been running for a day or two and it's cold doesn't necessarily mean it is properly conditioned to be stored. So check it and just keep the fans running.

SPEAKER_00 11:41

Well, a bin will heat up in the sun, like there's a lot of energy coming from the sun, and it'll heat what's inside of it, and that corn will send energy to each other as well.

SPEAKER_02 11:55

So sure, but that tends to be the outside footer, so but um don't put it in the bin and forget about it. Like I said, I like to open that top lid and keep the fans running when it's cold out, get that corn cooled down. Um obviously, obviously, if it's gonna rain, we try to close the lids up. But even now, and put the harness on. Well, I'm not climbing in that bin.

SPEAKER_00 12:23

But I mean to go up to the top of the bin. I know.

SPEAKER_02 12:27

So at the very peak on that full bin, you can already see the moisture. It's not a crust yet, but you can see how a crust would form. I should have taken a picture so I could share that. Um but that's where the crust starts at that very peak. So in a month, we're gonna have to take that peak out to keep that from crusting over.

SPEAKER_00 12:52

So other than that, like still just focusing on harvest.

SPEAKER_02 13:03

We're down to the last couple days. Should finish this weekend. Most people around here are if they haven't wrapped up, they're gonna have it wrapped up this week, I bet.

SPEAKER_00 13:14

Looks like there might be some rain in our forecast early next week, so it'll be a good time to finish with the combine at least.

Break The “I’ve Done It Before” Habit

SPEAKER_02 13:25

There's we've had some wind, so knock on wood. Our corn has been standing great. Um, what we're still combining is the last planted stuff. So it was planted May 6th, 7th, and 8th, and it's actually still really good corn. Uh I'm not gonna call it better than the first planted stuff, but no less than the first planted stuff. So um, but I was talking to somebody and they said they had some corn that was just plain flat.

SPEAKER_00 13:58

Um that is unfortunate. Right. It's just hard to combine and you lose a bunch.

SPEAKER_02 14:04

It's frustrating and takes forever. And so, and they said it was just that one particular number um because they sprayed fungicide twice, and a different number um right next to it stood just fine. So it is probably very hybrid specific, but um yeah, it's frustrating and you got down corn. But should get it wrapped up, everybody in the area, including us, and move on to the next thing. You can already see dry fertilizer going on, and have not seen any anhydras being pulled yet, but mark my words, it'll be an 80 until this week. Mark my words. It'll be a week. It got to 32 degrees. Somebody is gonna do it.

SPEAKER_00 15:01

So it's all choices.

SPEAKER_02 15:02

Yep, it's her choice, right around. But uh yeah, happy fall.

SPEAKER_00 15:10

I'm glad it's got we've gotten a little crisp air because I've been ready for soup season and tea, hot tea.

SPEAKER_02 15:20

Henry has made some chili. Holy cannoli.

SPEAKER_00 15:24

Good stuff.

SPEAKER_02 15:25

That was good.

SPEAKER_00 15:27

That's good because there's leftovers. I think that's what you're getting for lunch today.

SPEAKER_02 15:31

Good. I like it.

SPEAKER_00 15:34

Yeah, he used uh tri-tip roast, sliced it really thin, and I think he put it on the grill first.

SPEAKER_02 15:43

Yep, seared it, seared it, sliced it really thin, and then threw it in. It was not cooked all the way through, so still red in the middle.

SPEAKER_00 15:52

Very red, like raw.

SPEAKER_02 15:54

Then threw it in the grill uh pot for chili.

SPEAKER_00 15:57

Yeah, it's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 15:59

Oh, it was good. No beans in it, so it was vegetables and meat. Well, he called it Texas chili, I think he said. So, but it was really good.

SPEAKER_00 16:11

Yeah. It's a good way to sneak some vegetables into you and Lizzie. He puts all kinds of fun stuff in there.

SPEAKER_02 16:18

I don't as long as it tastes good, I don't care. I like it. So with that being said, uh, just because you done it doesn't mean it's gonna work. Think before you act.

SPEAKER_00 16:32

Well, and listen, yeah, listen to your intuition. Like sometimes we push things off as far as like, oh, you know, I sensed I shouldn't have done it. Um like there the universe is nudging you. Like, hey, let's pay attention to that.

SPEAKER_02 16:51

I know. I even thought when I climbed in there, Leah's gonna kill me for this.

SPEAKER_00 16:56

I wouldn't do that. I because I want you around.

SPEAKER_02 17:00

But again, that was a universe being like, Jesse, come on, think. Think before you act.

SPEAKER_00 17:07

Well, even with the harness, you shouldn't do it. Because you if you would get in a pocket.

Cooling Corn And Managing Moisture

SPEAKER_02 17:13

Right. The the harness is literally just to keep you from sinking further. It's not gonna it'll save your life. But what you should do is just not go in there.

SPEAKER_00 17:25

So if you all could see my face right now, I have like this dumbfounded look on my face, like, oh like it could have been tragic.

SPEAKER_02 17:40

I know. As always, thanks for listening. And take it from us. We learn the hard way. We're trying to help you not learn the hard way.

SPEAKER_00 17:56

So reach out to us. Um our email is farmersgreatestasset at gmail.com. We'd love to hear any comments or suggestions if there's anything you all want to hear about.

SPEAKER_02 18:10

Find us on all of the socials, go out and follow us, like us, and share with a friend.

SPEAKER_00 18:15

At farmers greatest asset.

SPEAKER_02 18:18

It's a good day.

SPEAKER_00 18:20

To have a great day. Bye.