Corn Barn Works in Place of Extra Bin

Since they farm some contract acres, Vince Widman and his sons need very short-term storage for that grain. “We use this building for the last out/first in,” explains Widman. “The drying process is complete and the corn has been cooled for 48 hours before transfer. We’ve never had a bit of damage to the corn,” he says. 

The auger system fills evenly from side to side. It has a slide mechanism to control the flow of corn. The center auger is removable, if necessary. 

“We did learn the skid loader driver taking out grain needs to wear a paper face mask because of dust and fines,” he says. 

Other features include:  

• The 8-foot-high end walls built of 4×4 tubing salvaged from a cultivator are super sturdy. Metal roofing on the inside walls is 12 feet high.
• A 6-inch curb on the walls’ outside edge keeps out any standing water. 
• OSB insulation in the roof and the walls prevents sweating.
• Grain from the ground goes into a 17-foot-high, 40×80-foot pole building that holds 32,000 bushels of corn. All doors close to keep out rain and snow.   
• In less than 15 minutes, a removable section comes out to convert the building to implement storage. A pullout auger from a 30-foot bin mounts here with a grain bin sump already in the building. 
• Spaces between horizontal oak 2×4s are closest at the base. Lengthwise and crosswise removable 8-foot steel cables create further stability. 
• A 40-foot-long auger is mounted just under the trusses, yet higher than the drive-through door. Grain is delivered into a series of hoppers.

More about vince widman

Operation: The Widmans (Vince and his sons, James and Robert) grow corn and soybeans in Clyde, Ohio, which is in the north-central part of the state. 

On-site business: JEB Modern Machine is operated by James, Robert, and Robert’s son, Eric. The company specializes in performance parts and has 12 employees.  

First gen: Vince worked the Whirlpool night shift repairing factory machinery for years to buy his own farm. 

Booster: Grandson Eric is nationally ranked in diesel truck sled-pulling competitions.