As farmers around north central Iowa, near the Minnesota state line, scurried to get the 2009 crop planted, the board of directors at Five Star Cooperative faced a serious question about their tiny steel elevator in Hanlontown (641-896-2610). Should the in-town facility remain a seasonal elevator open for harvest only, or should it expand to become a full-time elevator capable of long-term storage to take advantage of basis and spread movements?
With some of the best farmland in the state and soaring yields in recent years, the obvious answer was to expand, says Five Star Operations Manager Wayne Steven, who also serves as the cooperative’s grain operations manager and safety director. He came to Five Star seven years ago from a cooperative in Wisconsin.
