Page 30 - Demo

28What%u2019s the difference?Veedersburg, Fountain Co. (610.10)WHEN I FIRST BEGAN MAKING PHONE CALLS, and sending emails, to anyone I felt might help me compile a list of places to photograph, I was occasionally asked by non-farmers, %u201cWhat%u2019s the difference between a grain elevator and a feed mill?%u201d It can be confusing%u2014especially since the term %u201cgrain elevator,%u201d or simply %u201celevator,%u201d is often applied to both types of operations. But there are differences, so I offer the following explanations.I%u2019ll begin with silos. A silo is simply a type of storage container for grain%u2014one that%u2019s tall and cylindrical in shape. They can be made from almost any construction material: wood, fieldstone, clay tile, brick, steel, or concrete. Silos are often found on farms, but they%u2019re also commonly situated adjacent to grain elevators and feed mills.A grain elevator (left) is a specialized facility where grain is delivered and stored, bought and sold%u2014and sent off by train or truck elsewhere. Its name is derived from the fact that it has a mechanical elevator designed to lift (elevate) grain up and dump it into a silo, bin, or other storage receptacle.Grain elevators fall into two broad categories, based on their capacity. A country grain elevator is a smaller structure, containing storage areas and mechanical equipment, where individual farmers sell their grain (usually corn, oats, wheat, or soybeans). A country grain elevator stores grain until it has enough to resell to an end user (such as a processing plant), or to a much bigger ter-