RICHMOND, Ill. – Silos have dotted the Midwestern landscape for 150 years. But they’re threatened by development and old age. One “silo hunter” in northern Illinois has been tracking down silos her grandfather built – before they disappear.
A Frank May silo is tucked away behind trees in southern Wisconsin. When Tom Schurman bought the farm a few years ago, he said the silo was practically invisible through the overgrown trees. It took a lot of work to clear the area. Now his kids play basketball on the foundation of what was once a barn.
People are also reading…
A Frank May silo stands beside Deno Buralli Jr.’s barn. When Buralli bought the farm, he said there was silage in the silo – enough to feed his cattle through that first winter.
Dennis Storlie and Marianne May take a look April 25 at the inside of a silo in McHenry County, Illinois.
Jess Savage is with Northern Public Radio. This story is a product of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri in partnership with Report for America, with major funding from the Walton Family Foundation.
