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James Hockey, from Single Tree Agriculture, is based in Spring Ridge, a small town in northern NSW. They come from a long-standing family tradition in farming dating back to 1948 and the farm predominantly focuses on cropping with supplementary cattle operations.
Ahead of the sorghum harvest, James Hockey anticipated the need for significant bulk storage upgrades. With prior experience in using grain bags and silos, he recognised the limitations of both methods for accommodating the expected harvest. Opting for grain bunkers, James sought a solution that would cost-effectively provide ample storage capacity and enable uninterrupted harvest operations during the critical harvest window.
“The most important part for us is just getting harvest off as quick as we can, and to keep the header rolling. We have a short window of harvest due to moisture levels and ensuring headers aren’t held up is a top priority.”
The Solution
After careful consideration, James decided to implement a bunker storage solution supplied by Polytex. Within a short timeframe Polytex supplied a full package including everything James needed to set up the bunker. The bunker width and size were designed based on the site, auger limitations and capacity required, with grain bunker top tarps and ground sheets made to suit. Concrete tyres were also supplied to secure the tarp and form a good seal.
With consultation from Polytex, a pad location was decided upon, situated on a gravel hill with a slight natural gradient. Minimal effort was required to prepare a smooth and levelled gravel pad and lay down the ground sheet, before inloading with an auger. The use of earth walls for the bunker increased grain capacity within the same pad size and made grain management more efficient for the operators when inloading.
James was able to utilise their existing swing-away auger, loading from the centre of the bunker and pulling the auger along every couple of truckloads to maintain a smooth ridge.
Rain arrived part way through harvest and James was able to quickly close the bunker down. Two corners of the bunker tarp were tied to two machines and the top tarp was pulled over and secured with concrete tyres to make a good seal. When harvest resumed, they simply pulled the tarp back and continued loading.
The Polytex bunker exceeded expectations in terms of functionality and ease of setup. With a storage capacity of 2,500 tonnes, James anticipates meeting this year’s harvest requirements with ease. The design allows for potential expansion of up to 3,500 tonnes in the future, demonstrating scalability to accommodate future growth or add another site in a similar setup.
James was pleased with the performance of the bunker, and the labour for shifting the tarp required just 2 people and proved to be a quicker process than using grain bags.
The transition to on-farm bunkers has significantly reduced logistics issues, allowing for a more seamless harvesting process and ultimately, a better yield.
How Polytex can Help
As an industry leader, Polytex has been providing on-site grain storage solutions for decades. If you are looking to upgrade your storage facilities and start protecting your produce at scale, contact our friendly team at 1300 059 003.
