SILO
“Whoa! A giant blue Pringles can.” That’s a silo. Silos are steel or concrete structures where farmers store grain feed for animals. Farmers put entire stalks of corn or sorghum inside the silo. The freshly-cut plants then ferment and break down into bite-size pieces for cattle.
GRAIN BIN
What’s big, shiny and round all over? A grain bin! Usually silver in color, these kissing cousins to silos are made of steel and full of dried corn kernels. Farmers use grain bins to store corn before they feed it to animals, like hogs, or sell it to exporters or ethanol plants. Sometimes, farmers store soybeans in bins too.
ROUND BARN
Gee-whiz. Everything in Illinois is round… even the barns! More than 100 years ago, the University of Illinois showed farmers how a round barn was more economical and efficient. A silo could be built in the middle, making it easier to feed the animals. There are still quite a few round barns in Illinois and they are often a point of pride for the community. We think it’s lucky to be the first one in the car to spot a round barn.
WIND TURBINE
Up until the 1930s,farmers used wind to pump water and generate power. Today, farmers harness those gusty gales and provide clean, renewable electricity for everyone, from the small town schools to the city of Chicago.
GRAIN ELEVATOR
"Next floor, penthouse." No, it's not that kind of elevator. Farmers store grain in these elevators before it is loaded onto rail cars.
