Harold W. Foertsch of Jefferson Township Butler County was elected chairperson for the Butler/Beaver/Allegheny County FSA Committee at its recent reorganization meeting.

Elected vice chairperson was Norman Graham of Connoquenessing Township. Regular members are H. George Hartzell of Slippery Rock Township; Virginia Strouss of Findlay Township, Allegheny County; and Elder A. Vogel Sr. of New Sewickley, Beaver County. Pearl Studebaker of Slippery Rock Township, serves as the county committee adviser.

The committee established the third Thursday of the month to hold its meetings, which are scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. All dates are subject to change.

The FSA County Committee makes decisions on commodity price support loans and payments, establishment of yields, farmer loans, conservation programs, incentive, indemnity, and disaster payments for some commodities and other farm disaster assistance.

Tips for storing grain, preserving quality

Farmers have completed harvesting corn and soybeans for storage over winter. Listed below are some points to remember to help prepare grain for winter storage and to maintain grain quality.

n Make sure there is good water drainage away from the bin. Leaks at bottom or through fan opening will cause grain damage.

• Clean empty bin of all old grain and fines; clean up around outside of bin, remove spilled grain, debris, and control growth of vegetation around outside of bin. Spray inside wall, floor and outside around base of bin, wall entry door and unloading auger. Combine or sheller should be cleaned and sprayed at end of season and again at beginning of season. Contact your local chemical dealer for an approved product for spraying harvesting equipment, bins and directly on grain.

• Use grain cleaner or fan to take trash and fines out of new grain going into bin — squirrel case furnace fan is excellent at auger entrance (proper setting of combine can eliminate most of trash and damaged grain). Run aeration fan in bin when filling. Broken grain and fines increases cost of drying and make ideal conditions for insects, spoilage and restriction of airflow.

• Replace worn out grain augers (150,000 to 200,000 bushels). Worn augers damage grain.

• Use grain spreader in bin to keep grain level (electric model for wet grain, gravity type for dry grain).

• Dry grain to safe moisture level. Corn and oats — 13 percent for storage for nine months or more; wheat and soybeans — 11 percent to 12 percent (high protein grain has to be drier).

• If farmer has a stirral bin, when drying is completed, remove 200 or 300 bushels of grain and run it back through the auger into the bin, but run falling grain past a fan or through a cleaner to take out fines and debris. With stirral system, fines and debris accumulate in center of bin.

• Level grain in bin — do not cover up opening between bottom of roof and bin wall. If grain must be peaked in roof, draw out 100 to 150 bushels after filling or make a dimple in center of peak. This will stop chimney effect of air circulation in bin.

• Cool grain down to 35 to 40 degrees for storage over winter (insects are inactive at these temperatures). In March or April, when outside air temperature reaches 40 to 60 degrees, run aeration fans to warm up grain to equal outside temperature. A thermometer placed on top of grain if moving air up through grain or at fan exit if moving air down through grain will show when grain temperature reaches desired level.

• Watch batch dryers. Each batch could be dried to different moisture contents. High moisture, high-capacity dryers sometimes dry outer area of corn but not in the center. Moisture in center migrates out after grain is in bin. High temperature drying often causes stress cracks in corn. Corn then breaks up when being moved. Some buyers will not accept corn with stress cracks. Also, be aware that temperature adjustment must be made on moisture test. Fan on grain cleaner at exit of batch dryer is an added plus. Contact your chemical dealer for an ideal time to apply approved material to grain being transferred to storage bin.

• Cover fan and unloading auger opening at bottom of bin to stop air circulation in stored grain after grain is cooled for storage.

• Airway tubes on walls are a plus when drying in bin. Airway tubes are necessary if drying bin wall panels are sealed on horizontal edges. This eliminates wet corn or walls and future moldy corn.

• About May 1, treat top of grain with insecticide. Vapona strips suspended above grain controls Indian Meal Moth coming in to lay eggs. It is cheaper to prevent a problem than to pay for correcting one.

Ag humor

With his ball and bat in hand, the little boy walked to home plate in an empty baseball field. As he threw the ball up in the air, he announced, "I am the best ballplayer ever!" He swung with all his power, but missed. He did the same thing and missed again. He picked up the ball, tossed it up one more time, said "I am the best ballplayer in the world!" Then he swung and missed again. "Wow!" he said, "What a pitcher!"

Luke Fritz is executive director of the Butler County Farm Service Agency.