Kim Fundingsland/MDN Grain elevators are considered critical operations during the coronavirus pandemic and remain open throughout the region. However, they are still practicing social distancing with some employees also working from home.

It may be a slow time of the year for grain elevators in the state, but they have been deemed critically important to the nation by the Department of Homeland Security.

Dan Sem, general manager of Dakota Agronomy Partners of Minot, puts it simply.

“We’ve got food,” said Sem. “Agriculture is considered critical. We’ve got duties to perform.”

Sem said his staff is taking measures to limit person to person contact, for both the safety of employees and farmers bringing product to market.

“That’s the name of the game,” said Sem. “We’ve got logistics that we worry about every day, that’s the trucks that drive up and down the road. Keep them healthy. Our people are our most critical staff.”

At the Harvey Farmers Elevator it has been “pretty much business as usual” according to manager Joel Schimke.

“We’re considered essential,” explained Schimke. “We’ve got a couple of people working from home to minimize the amount of people in the office. We’re keeping as distant from each other as possible.”

Drivers bringing grain to the elevator remain in their trucks and “punch in and out” on their phone said Schimke.

Helping the situation is that April is generally a slow time in the elevator business. Elevator yards are saturated and soft. So too are many rural roads and some load restrictions are in place. However, all will change as temperatures continue to warm and spring planting gets underway.

“We’re not real worried yet but we’re being as careful as possible,” said Schimke. “We don’t want to end up with sick employees during spring planting season. Right now everyone has a job and everyone is getting paid.”

Keeping distance between employees and customers, social distancing, is being practiced at the Renville Elevator Company in Tolley too. The elevator remains open for business with farmers being asked to stay out of the office and a proper distance away from elevator employees unless absolutely necessary.

“They’re calling and texting. Drivers pretty much stay in their trucks,” said Carl Zeltinger, manager. “It’s really business as usual except we don’t have people roaming around in our office.”

Activity at the Berthold Farmers Elevator, at least the face to face kind, has come to a halt but it hasn’t curtailed normal business transactions to any great extent.

“We’re trying to be business as usual,” said Dan Mostad, manager. “We’re doing all the social distancing things. In reality, a truck pulls in and dumps grain and you read the card. You really don’t have to come into contact with people anymore, for better or worse.”