Kenneth Rose farms 7,500 acres of dryland grain sorghum near Keyes, Okla. Kenneth’s unique marketing strategy involves on-farm grain storage and selling directly to end-users and rail companies. Rose can store 66,000 bushels on his farm until he’s ready to sell his grain.

“I also have an aeration system in my bins that can decrease the moisture content of my grain,” Rose said. “Being able to harvest at higher moisture levels and depend on my bins to dry out the grain is a great load off of my mind.”

Rose has thermometers that hang from the ceiling into the bins to monitor temperature and moisture levels. However, if he stores the grain with too much moisture, it allows potential for it to spoil.

“You really have to watch your storage system closely to keep the grain in good condition,” said Rose. “Quality is very important when you’re marketing it yourself.”

By storing their grain on farm, producers create many opportunities for their sorghum. Rose said he typically gets $.20 to $.40 higher than others and avoids lines at the elevator and can dump his trucks soon after harvest.

“You have to be committed to maintaining quality and to systematic marketing. I watch for seasonal trends and watch for the basis to go up and down,” Rose said. “I would definitely recommend this to a fellow sorghum grower. Although it involves a more hands on marketing approach, it also increases your bottom line and lets you decide what you get for your grain.”