CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon farmer is shipping trainloads of his wheat on his own railroad.
Larry Venell says it’s much more efficient to ship his grain from his family’s farm south of Corvallis to the Port of Portland than having it trucked.
Venell tells the Gazette-Times that grain elevator truck bays can become chokepoints, creating a backlog for growers.
The Venells spent almost $1 million in 1996 to build a covered loading facility, but the family wasn’t able to use it since June 2007. That’s the Portland & Western Railroad halted service on the line running through the family’s property.
