Grain elevators have been going up across

the Great Plains thanks to a strong corn crop and a desire to hold

onto the grain until prices improve.

Storage capacity at the nation’s federally licensed grain

elevators is at an all-time high, but there’s still not enough in

states like Kansas and Nebraska. In those states, millions of

bushels of grain have been piled up outside elevators at risk of

damage from foul weather.

That demand, coupled with low interest rates, has resulted in

lots of grain elevator construction.

The work has created temporary construction jobs, but the bigger

impact for rural towns may be the boost in property taxes that will

accompany the expansions. That could help schools and municipal

services