Grain Journal

06/17/2026

How many workplace problems are being solved — and how many are just being managed?

“Sometimes we can be so good at managing our problems that others find it hard to identify them as problems.”

In his Grain Journal safety column, Dean Alling looks at the quiet cost of working around issues instead of fixing them.

A sharp edge everyone knows to avoid.
A piece of equipment that needs to last “just one more season.”
A hazard that has become so familiar it no longer feels urgent.

Those problems may stay hidden for a while, but they still drain time, trust and attention, and they can create a false sense of security.

Read “The Cost of Managing Problems”: https://ow.ly/BfhR50ZcMER

06/10/2026

Employees want to come home the same way they went in.

In her latest safety column, Cadrien Livingston explores how leading indicators and personal ownership can help create a culture where safety is more than checking a box — it's about ensuring everyone's destination is home.

"The goal is not fewer incidents; it is preventing the conditions that make them possible in the first place."

Congratulations to Cadrien on her new role as director of safety at Klinger Companies. We're excited to have her continue sharing her insights with Grain Journal readers.

Read her "Destination Home" column from the May/June issue of Grain Journal, now available online: https://ow.ly/Jx8A50Z8TvM

06/08/2026

Every issue of Grain Journal ends with a Parting Shot — a photograph celebrating the people, places and stories that make our industry unique.

This issue features the GrainCorp silos at Devenish, Victoria, Australia. Completed in 2018, the mural by Queensland artist Cam Scale became the 10th painted silo in Victoria and the 20th addition to the Australian Silo Art Trail.

The artwork depicts a World War I nurse alongside a modern-day medic, reflecting the changing roles of women in the military, while also honoring the Australian Light Horse cavalry and mounted infantry of World War I.

Keep an eye on the back page. You never know where the next Parting Shot will take you.

📸 Photo by Bruce Selyem

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06/05/2026

Many grain companies assume that hiring a third-party carrier transfers the risk.

According to Colin Fettig, risk managing consultant at Berkley Agribusiness, that's not always the case.

"If your operation relies on third-party transportation in any form, now is the time to review or establish your agreements and ensure they reflect the realities of today's risk environment. When an accident happens, it is too late to wish a contract had been in place."

Before your next load moves, ask yourself:

• Are handshake agreements leaving responsibilities unclear?
• Are your carriers' insurance limits adequate for a serious accident?
• When was the last time you reviewed carrier safety ratings and CSA scores?
• Are vehicles ever loaned or leased without clearly defined contractual protections?
• Are you assuming transportation risk ends once a load leaves your facility?

This article is now available online as part of Grain Journal's May/June Transportation issue: https://ow.ly/eaFn50Z6KgL

06/01/2026

One of the most expensive mistakes a grain facility can make is treating expansion as a future problem.

"If we double our storage five years from now, where will it go?"

That question influenced the design of Schiff Farms' new rail-loading facility in Delaware.

As the project team put it: "We try to make sure future additions are going to go well and get planned out correctly, so you don't build yourself into a corner."

Future storage, drying capacity and additional receiving infrastructure were all mapped out before the first phase was built.

See how the team planned for future growth before the first bin was even filled:
https://ow.ly/sOcN50Z6nA5

05/19/2026

The order looked completely legitimate.

Real company name. Real employees. Professional communication. No obvious red flags.

The shipment was sent.

Payment never came.

A feed supplier lost $250,000 worth of product after fraudsters carefully replicated a legitimate company’s identity using a slightly altered email domain.

Federal agencies say these scams are becoming more common across agriculture — and AI is making them harder to detect.

Here are some of the warning signs grain and feed companies are being told to watch for:

A feed supplier received a request from what appeared to be a legitimate customer. The email address matched the company’s name. The website checked out. The communication was consistent and professional. There were no obvious red flags.

05/07/2026

Registration for the annual Liquid Feed Symposium in September has now opened, with AFIA encouraging industry members to attend to discuss growth opportunities and education of the liquid feed industry.

The year's theme is "Feeding Independence, Growing Innovation.”

Read the full story on Grain Journal: GrainJournal.com/article/1140133/registration-is-now-open-for-afias-2026-liquid-feed-symposium

05/07/2026

A Minnesota high school senior has been announced as the recipient of the 2026-2027 Soy Scholarship in recognition of his leadership roles with 4-H and FFA programs along with significant volunteer work.

Read the full story on Grain Journal: GrainJournal.com/article/1140121/minnesota-student-receives-asa-basf-soy-scholarship