It’s usually an inexpensive, efficient way to transport crops, as a typical group of 15 barges lashed together carries as much cargo as about 1,000 trucks.
A narrowed shipping lane also means barges from different companies must squeeze into limited space, forcing backups and delays.
Months of dry and warm weather have hit the Midwest hard, damaging crops in much of the region west of the Mississippi River.
In Kansas, 40% of the soybean crop was reported in poor or very poor condition, with the same conditions for 40% of the corn crop in Missouri.
From his work site beside the Mississippi River in Red Wing, Minnesota, Jim Larson watches as the river rises and falls through the seasons.
Persons:
Farmer Bruce Peterson, chuckled, ” Peterson, “, Louis, Paul, that’s, Nature, ”, Merritt Lane, Lane, Tom Heinold, ” Heinold, Heinold, Mike Steenhoek, Steenhoek, Jim Larson, Larson
Organizations:
DES, Canal Barge, New, Engineers, “, Soy Transportation Coalition, Red
Locations:
DES MOINES, Iowa, Mississippi, Gulf of Mexico, Minnesota, New Orleans, St, Minneapolis, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Davenport , Iowa, Savanna , Illinois, Rock, Missouri, In Kansas, U.S, United States, Red Wing , Minnesota