Until last year, Michigan farmer Cal Schipper operated a poultry farm near Holland, selling eggs produced by his 1.6 million hens. Then, he decided to sell the operation and become a corn and soybean farmer.
“The poultry industry involves a lot of auditing and regulations, and even with all of our egg layers, we could see that down the road, it was going to be hard to compete with the big companies in the egg industry,” Schipper said. “We saw an opportunity to sell and took it.”
He set up his new 1,200-acre corn and soybean farm — Schipper Family Farms — on land he owned directly across the road from the poultry operation. He works with his two sons, Riley and Elliott, on the no-till operation.
Schipper is no stranger, however, to crop farming or grain storage. He grew his own corn on the poultry farm to provide feed for the hens, and he had on-site grain storage equipment that was included in the sale. So, he turned to GSI to design and build a new one on the crop farm.
Completed in time for fall harvest, the new system offers 240,000 bushels of corn storage capacity and 60,000 bushels of soybean capacity — enough to not only meet current needs but also to support future expansion.
Schipper plans to buy additional land and plant more corn and soybeans over the next 10 years. “I have learned over the years to always look down the road and make things bigger than you currently need,” he said.
The new system, designed and installed by GSI dealer Oakridge Farm Supply, based in Hamilton, includes:
- Three dry storage bins, a 20,000-bushel wet storage hopper bin and a 4,000-bushel overhead loadout hopper tank.
- A tower dryer with a capacity of 2,100 bushels per hour at a 5 point per hour moisture reduction.
- Three bucket elevators, including a 12,000 bushel-per-hour leg that can handle the grain that comes from the field to a dump pit; a 3,500 bushel-per-hour leg that takes grain from the wet bin to the dryer; and a 4,500 bushel-per-hour leg that transports the grain from the dryer to the storage bins.
Schipper is pleased with the new system, which he said has helped make his farming operation highly efficient. “We got it up and running in time for harvest and it worked great,” he said. “It was set up to provide high capacity with the latest technology.”
Being able to unload grain faster and get back to the field more quickly meant that only two semi-trucks were needed instead of three, according to Schipper. “Plus storing grain on the farm saves time and money by not having to wait in line at a grain elevator and being able to pick the right time of year to market the grain for higher prices,” he said.
Karl Haverdink, co-owner/sales at the GSI dealership, said it was an honor to work with Schipper Family Farms on the project.
“All of us here at Oakridge Farm Supply are grateful to them for giving us this opportunity,” he said. “Having known the Schipper family and their farming practices for many years, we know how important grain handling efficiency and product quality is to them.”
Haverdink said that in West Michigan, every available harvesting day is important and valuable. “Maintaining the quality of the grain is very important in our area,” he said. “Most of it is used in the livestock feeding industry. Without proper drying and storage, it is impossible to maintain the best ingredients for our livestock growers.
“We would like to thank GSI and their employees for all of the support, especially our district rep, David Ellis, for all of the assistance,” he added.
“We are thankful for the continued innovations and improvements the GSI Group has made through the years. To offer our customers the best storage, drying and handling equipment available in today’s market is an added advantage.”
For additional information, farmers can email Karl Haverdink at oakridgefarmsupply@gmail.com or visit grainsystems.com to find a GSI dealer serving their area.
