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The rise and fall of silos

By Jennifer Gallus
Staff Writer

Minnesota's agricultural landscape wouldn't be the same without towering silos, both old and new. Many of the oldest silos in the area often stand alone, outlasting the barns that once accompanied them.

In 1882, there were only 91 silos in the US, as per the US Department of Agriculture. However, by 1895, this number exceeded 50,000, and by 1903, an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 silos dotted the landscape.

Silos first appeared in Minnesota in the late 1880s, experiencing a construction boom between 1910 and 1925, as recorded in the Minnesota Historic Farms Study. By 1927, the state had roughly 36,000 silos, translating to one silo for every five farms.

Silos were crucial for storing and preserving green feeds during winter months. The evolution of Minnesota’s dairy industry was significantly influenced by the availability of year-round high-quality green feeds.

The growth of Minnesota's dairy industry corresponded with a rise in the number of dairy farms equipped with silos. According to the Minnesota Historic Farms Study, "Dairy cattle only produced milk from spring to fall when fed on green pastures. Limited to this schedule, northern climate farmers couldn't capitalize on higher-priced milk markets. The silo transformed dairy farming by enabling year-round feeding of green fodder, encouraging cows to give milk through the winter."

In 1911, CR Barnes from the University of Minnesota wrote, "The owner of a dairy herd of more than 10 or a dozen cows, who has failed to erect a silo, is now to be regarded as 'behind the age.'" Similarly, in 1931, RM Washburn stated, "No dairy or general livestock farm is properly equipped for economical production until a silo of some sort is provided."

High nutritional feeds like chopped corn stalks, grasses, legumes, sorghum, and field corn can be preserved while ensiled. Silage not exposed to air stabilizes once the available air is used up, preserving its nutritional value. Exposed silage, approximately the top four inches, tends to spoil, making it common practice to remove two to four inches daily to prevent spoilage.

Before automatic silage unloaders were invented, farmers had to manually unload silage from the top down. This labor-intensive process was simplified in the late 1940s with automatic unloaders, which became more widely used in the 1950s and 1960s.

In the 1870s, silos were horizontal, known as pit silos, usually built of wood or stone and partially or fully subterranean. The first vertical silos emerged in the 1880s and were square, made of wood or stone, but prone to structural issues and air pockets. Subsequent octagonal and round forms resolved these issues, and square silos became obsolete after 1900.

In the 1890s, FH King from Wisconsin's state agricultural experiment station developed the first successful round vertical silo, made from two layers of horizontally placed wooden boards. As wooden silos deteriorated, materials like brick and concrete became popular. By the early 1900s, silos were constructed from reinforced concrete, structural clay tile, cement staves, and galvanized metal.

The cement stave silo, introduced in Minnesota in 1905, became the most common. Cement staves, reinforced by metal bands or rods, provided excellent durability and fire resistance. Unlike silos made from brick or clay tile, cement stave silos required no special masonry skills, making them a more accessible and durable option.

Patterns at the tops of silos were typically unique to the company that built them. Today, the construction of new cement stave silos is rare, though the staves are still manufactured, according to Bob Schueler of Hanson Silo Company in Lake Lillian.

"People are looking for faster feeding methods, opting for bunker or flat storage over tower silos," said Schueler. Plastic bales of silage offer easier handling and quicker access. This trend towards flat storage has gained momentum, especially in the last decade.

What will become of the farm landscape once silos are no longer built and the remaining ones decay? Will we lose these traditional farm icons?

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