Corn Granary Opens Amid Drought
CROCKETT COUNTY, Tenn. – The long awaited corn granary opened in Bells despite the long periods of drought. “The heat really hurt it effects the pollination of corn and the yields. I think we are gonna be around 80 to 100 range on the non irrigated corn,” Granary General Manager Baker Haynes said. Mother nature did not do W.R. Russell Farms Granary any favors. On a good year 160 bushels of corn an acre would be harvested by farmers. The recent drought could cut that number in half. The granary hopes to take in one million bushels of corn during the next few months. The granary in Bells brought jobs to Crockett County with more jobs to come. Next year the facility hopes to employ at least 25 people. Josh Brasfield just started his new job at the granary. The 21-year-old Crockett County High School graduate used to work in Trenton at a factory job. “It’s really good that they are starting to get jobs bringing more people in. Get more businesses help kind of build the community up, ” said Brasfield. According to Haynes, farmers who planted corn early this year will not be hurt as much as farmers who planted corn late. Haynes said, “Some they are just scared that some contracts had done, they are just scared that they might not be able to fill them.” Last year Tennessee produced 99.3 million bushels of corn which is the second highest amount on state record.
