TN Corn Promotion Council Partners with TN Soybean Association to Support Grain Bin Safety and Rescue Training

More and more farmers are looking to use on-farm grain storage to have the ability to produce more corn and take advantage of grain market price variations. 

While on-farm storage offers the farmer flexibility in the harvest process, there is a need for grain bin safety training to help farmers and rescue squad members learn how they can knowledgeably respond to a potential accident. 

This past Fall, the Tennessee Corn Promotion Council partnered with the Tennessee Soybean Association to financially support a Grain Bin Safety and Rescue training program provided by the Tennessee Association of Rescue Squads and Tennessee AgrAbility. This support will be invested in training equipment needed to provide safety and rescue training programs across Tennessee.  

In March 2020, the first training program was offered in Carroll County, Tennessee to first responders, University of Tennessee extension agents, and farmers. After a pause in training programs due to pandemic precautions, additional programs resumed in Spring 2021. Programs were held in Savannah, Spring Hill, Milan, and Carthage. A final 2021 training program will take place in Dyersburg. Additional training programs are currently being planned to take place in early 2022 at new locations across Tennessee.

The one-day training program is specifically designed for emergency responders who may be called to a person or persons trapped in a grain bin. Upon completion of this course, the responder will possess the specialized knowledge to function as a member of a grain rescue team. Local farmers and extension agents are encouraged to attend to learn how they can assist in the event of a grain bin emergency.