There is still a fair amount of corn in storage from the smiles on a few people's faces as corn prices rise. Their gold is in their bins yet from last year, certainly not in this year's fields.

As Richard Stroshine of Purdue University Extension Ag Engineering reported as early as March, some people have had trouble keeping that corn as gold and not letting it turn into spoiled rubbish. Some of it didn't cool out properly last fall, and for some, there never was a good time in the fall and winter to bring grain temperatures down.

Be Careful Of Molds When Cleaning Out Grain Bins

If you're hauling out a bin or cleaning out the last of the corn in a bin and there is some spoilage involved, remember that the grain dust, especially if molds are present, can cause issues and sickness. One farmer who hauled several loads out of a bin with some moldy corn on a hot day was out of commission for three days, weak and aching. He believes it was heat stress. Whether it was heat stress or exposure to the molds might be for a doctor to say. The bottom line is that there is a health risk threat to watch for, unless you pick a cool day, if such a thing exists this summer, and have truly golden corn without mold.

The other obvious safety tip is to stay out of the bin unless the auger motor is tripped out. You certainly don't want to consider entering the bin with the auger running, even if you have tied yourself off and have someone outside. Spoiled grain can sometimes lead to clogged augers. But emptying a bin isn't worth risking your life. There are too many horror stories pout there of people who made that mistake- who tried to be safe but underestimated the power of flowing grain once the clog is freed.

Be careful out there as you clean out last year's crop.