Temporary wheat storage comes to Four Lakes

As predicted back in the summer, 2017's bumper crop of wheat is in need on a temporary place to stay, and right on schedule, the Highline Grain terminal at Four Lakes has a massive outdoor conical pile of Dark Northern Spring wheat that has risen alongside the original silos.

The current pile, which stands 62 feet high, holds 1.3 million bushels of wheat. It is the first of two that will occupy the site, but up to four could ultimately be built.

The idea of adding ground storage was in the plans at Four Lakes from the very beginning Keith Bailey, general manager and CEO of Ag Ventures said.

"We just didn't know whether it would be right away or not," he said in an August 18 Cheney Free Press story.

The pile is truly an optical illusion of sorts as according to Bailey what is under the tarp would fill the large silo at the facility two-and-a-third times, or 13 of the smaller ones.

The white tarp that protects the product from the rain comes in two parts, each 155 feet long and is put in place with a crane. The footprint of the first pile is 1.33 acres. For comparison sake a football field is a bit over an acre.

The current pile was created at a speed of 40,000 bushels per hour and took about four workdays to complete. To send it back to the elevator, and ultimately to market, the process is much slower at 20,000 bushels per hour.

"We'll fill them and if markets demand we'll empty them again and fill them," Bailey said. "You don't want to get in and out of it all the time," he added.

The Highline Terminal is owned by AgVentures an LLC comprised of Odessa Union Warehouse and Reardan Grain Growers.  Other owners are the Almira Farmers Warehouse, Davenport Union Warehouse and Central Washington Grain Growers.

Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].