Temporary and Emergency Grain Storage

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The Wisconsin Depa​rtment of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP)​ is responsible for enforcing a variety of business trade practice laws in order to ensure fair competition and an orderly ma​rketpla​ce. DATCP's Agricultural Producer Se​curity program designed to protect agricultural producers from financial defaults by those purchasing the producer’s products.

At times, the abundance of grain can leave some scrambling for a place to store it. Here are some considerations for both grain warehouse keepers and producers/depositors to make when storing grain in temporary and emergency structures, ag bags, or ground piles:

• Only company owned, and no depositor grain, can be stored in free flowing uncontained ground piles. See Wis. Stat. s. 126.25.​​
  

• All storage structures used to store depositor grain must be added to your licensed storage capacity before you begin storing depositor grain in those structures per Wis. Stat. s. 126.26(10). This includes all temporary storage, ag bags, and rented/leased offsite or farm storage.​

• Storage must be adequate to maintain the quality and quantity of grain stored for depositors per Wis. Stat. s. 126.34(3). While there are no specific requirements, best practices include: ​
  • Using a concrete or asphalt base surface sufficient to sustain use of heavy machinery and that slopes away from the center or has no low points where water can pool.
  • Using aeration and a puncture resistant cover, preferably white.
  • Monitoring the temperature of the grain periodically over the time it remains in storage.
  • Putting only good quality, low moisture grain in these structures.
  • For ag bags: clearing and mowing dirt ground surfaces to prevent puncturing.​​

Grain Producers/Depositors

Things for producers to consider and questions to ask:

• Does the business you intend to store grain with have a grain warehouse keeper license?

• Where in the facility will your grain be stored?

• Does it appear that storage structures are adequate to maintain the quality of grain stored? See best practices above.
  

• Be aware of all storage charges, discounts, and deductions before you deliver or sell your grain.

• Be sure to obtain proper scale tickets, receipts, settlement sheets, and monthly storage statements.

• If you are selling your grain rather than storing your grain, make sure the buyer holds a grain dealer license.

• Once you sell your grain, you must receive payment within 7 days of the date delivered and sold, unless you have entered into a proper deferred payment contract. See Wis. Stat. s. 126.19.