Whats the deal with Corn ?

[KeithO]

Corn price is less than $4/bushel. Everyone who deals in fuel corn is asking $6.50/bushel or more. I have found 1 supplier in the Saginaw area who deliveres who is asking just over $4, but he cannot keep up with demand and is not accepting new customers presently. He brings the corn to your home and transfers it by hose into large cube style sacks (about 1 ton each) inside your garage or basement. No messing around with dozens of bushel bags. You scoop out using buckets. Generally 2 buckets/day for a regular cornburner or if you have a corn furnace you can load it up for several days at a time.

My first season, I paid market price $1.90/bushel. Since then, everyone raises prices when the market goes up but won't lower them when the market goes down ?

 

[Sting]

Just because the market price says the value is below the cost of production -- don't assume producers are willing or stupid enough to sell at a loss!

 

[harttj]

My suggestion is get a gravity wagon, or trailer and when price is low, get it filled and do the transfer yourself or put wagon in barn/garage. Around here last week the price was down to 3.09/bu. That's $110/ton!

I agree if you have to buy corn by the 100# sack the price doesn't seem very good.

Tim

 

[jtakeman]

Buy when cheap and in bulk. Bagged will always cost much more due to the extra labor to bag.

Try a local co op. I located a farmer that grows just for the corn burners. I try to call him in late April, Early may. Just before he takes the rest to co op for animal feed. This year I got a ton for $120.00 In the fall, It will run me about $200/ton!

 

[rona]

Generally you will get a better grade of corn buying straight from a farmer as there will be less damage from handling etc.
But like someone said people don't sell when the price is low as they can't make any money that way. One other reason to buy from a farmer is the more hands that corn goes through the higher price is will be because everyone wants to make a profit.
The best way of doing this is get a gravity wagon and get it filled then just use it out of it as needed. You can make a screener easily if the corn is dirty but now days the combines do a pretty good job and most of the time you won't have any-trouble.
Just make sure he knows you need 15% or less.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

fuel corn is generally dried to a lower content than feed corn 12-13 % is optimal, usually feed corn is dried to about 14-16 % animal farmers generally do not want corn dried much more than that (ive heard it loses nutritional value but i dunno if thats true) also it costs money to dry corn and the dryer it is dried to the longer it has to be dried and he more fuel is used to do so.


that said , as rona stated , most corn burning units can handle corn up to about 15% usually with additives like crushed oyster shell. so most "slio corn" can be burned , but may need cleaning which as rona said you can make a screen device for this (we actually offer one at ESW) , i have plans i can send you also if you wish to make your own. no biggie for me to shoot em to ya.