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BIG SOUTH FORK TENNESSEE: Silos Are Silent Sentinels

By
Real Estate Agent with Tennessee Recreational Properties

When you're in Fentress County, Tennessee, you know you're in the country! Everywhere you look, the scenery is so pastoral, it could have been painted by Norman Rockwell.

this is a typical sight as you drive through Fentress County, Tennessee

And…if you start looking for them…there are silos everywhere you look.

This old silo is on Route 27 in Oneida; here you can clearly see the chute.Did you ever wonder how they work?? Most people would assume that grain is put in the top and taken from the bottom but that's NOT how it works. The grain or silage, which is actually chopped hay, is loaded into the top of the tower with a grain elevator, a conveyor belt, and gravity does the rest. When feed is needed, it's taken from the TOP! That's because the weight of the silo's contents makes it impossible to remove from the bottom. You'll notice that most silos have an appendage running up the side; this is actually a chute for with rungs for a farm hand to climb up in order to drop a usable quantity of grain down.

As the level of the grain decreases, a door or hatch located at intervals can be opened, allowing a farm hand to walk or crawl in and shovel feed into the chute. If a large quantity of feed is needed, an auger can be inserted to facilitate removal.

Many farms have a pole barn like this with equipment; here's an auger for a grain silo.

Tower silos are typically made out of interlocking concrete blocks, held in place with metal hoops. The primary hazard to operators is dust suspended in the air; it is highly combustible and can lead to horrific explosions. Spontaneous combustion can also occur, if the silo's contents are overly moist. A variety of potentially toxic gases can be produced by the silo's contents and farm workers must always take care in conditions where there is limited oxygen. Inhalation of mold spores can also occur.

Large-scale feeding of livestock is usually associated with dairy farming or herds of beef cattle. With so many farms subdivided now into smallholdings, many of the old silos are silent sentinels to the area's past, when farming was a way of life.

These are some of the silos you'll see in the vicinity of Jamestown, Tennessee. The one on the right is on Pickett Park Highway, as you're headed toward Big South Fork National Park, the middle picture was taken on Highway 127 just south of town and the one on the right in the Mennonite community of Muddy Pond.

 

For information about Big South Fork real estate or horse properties in Jamestown, Tennessee, go to www.trailridersrealestate.com

There's also a lot of information about the are on Tennessee Recreational Properties' website.

Comments (5)

Lee & Carol Barbour, REALTORS
Murphy and Hayesville, NC; Hiawassee, Blairsville, Blue Ridge GA - Murphy, NC
Mountain Living Team in Murphy NC and North GA

We just love your area and the great photos and history/information you always share with us Leslie.

Jul 22, 2010 08:08 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

I never really thought about how the stuff gets out of a silo!  Very interesting!  I learn so much from your blog.

Jul 22, 2010 03:59 PM
Leslie Helm
Tennessee Recreational Properties - Jamestown, TN
Real Estate For Trail Riders

Hi, Lee and Carol. I carry my camera and I'm always looking for what Charlie Buell calls "blog fodder." Once I noticed one silo, I was ASTONISHED by how many there are!

Jul 23, 2010 12:41 AM
Russel Ray, San Diego Business & Marketing Consultant & Photographer
Russel Ray - San Diego State University, CA

Is there anything more American than a tall silo by a big barn? I don't think so.

Jul 28, 2010 04:27 PM
Jim Frimmer
HomeSmart Realty West - San Diego, CA
Realtor & CDPE, Mission Valley specialist

Russel and I bought a house out in the boonies back in 1999. On the way to our house, you had to pass a big farm with a big red barn and a big silo. When we had our house-warming party, one of our city friends came out and as soon as he stepped inside he was yelling excitedly, "I saw a barn and a silo!" I don't think he had ever seen one before. It was so funny.

Jul 29, 2010 07:21 PM