SALEM, Ohio – Deerfield Farms Service has taken over operations at Rainbow’s End grain elevator and storage facility in Kinsman.
The lease agreement went into effect in early October.
“We got into our other interests, and knew that Deerfield Farms wanted to establish business in this area,” said Mike Harnett, Rainbow’s End manager.
Mike Harnett and David Harnett, owner, have known Deerfield Farms’ Wallbrown family for over 25 years, according to Mike Harnett, and “trust them to carry on for the customers what Rainbow’s End started,” he said.
“We hate to give up the grain elevator, because we enjoyed it, but the time element really is playing a big factor,” Harnett said.
David Harnett is also a dentist, and Mike Harnett recently expanded his trucking fleet. He will continue to farm nearly 500 acres and also hopes to haul grain for the company.
“A lot of people in the area used to drive their grain trucks past Rainbow’s End on their way to Deerfield. There’s no need to drive those extra 50 miles now,” Harnett said.
More resources. The company also offers customers several marketing tools and techniques that Harnett’s couldn’t, “and that helps farmers get more money,” Harnett said.
Both Harnetts will assist Deerfield Farms in the transition.
“You can expect to see someone from Deerfield up there at least a few times a week to start,” said Beth Wallbrown, Deerfield Farms grain manager and co-owner.
She hopes to sit down with area farmers during the coming months and help them devise profit-oriented marketing programs, she said.
Capacity. The acquisition brings Deerfield’s total capacity to 1.74 million bushels, Wallbrown said.
The former Rainbow’s End facility, located at 7431 State Route 7 in Kinsman, includes five 56,000-bushel bins, a 140,000-bushel flat storage area, and several smaller bins. Other equipment at the facility includes a 7,500 bushel per hour sweep leg and dryer and new 70-foot truck scales.
Deerfield Farms, based in Deerfield, Ohio, also has a facility in Louisville.
(You can contact Andrea Myers at 1-800-837-3419, ext. 22, or by e-mail at amyers@farmanddairy.com.)
