When Jack decided it was time to live out his life long dream of finally bringing his grandfather’s farm into the modern century and able to produce enough crops to be profitable, he knew that he had a lot to learn. At no point during his education or during his career in the business world had he learned anything about the difference between tractors and plows or what to use an above ground storage tank for. Determined to make his dream a reality, he decided to connect with some of the farmers near his land to figure out what to do first.
First, Jack met with his neighbor Bob. Bob was immensely helpful in helping Jack figure out what kind of equipment he would need to invest in right away. It turned out that a lot of his grandfather’s equipment was still in great shape, but Jack would need to replace the above ground storage tank used for fertilizer right away. It no longer met the standards and while Jack could try to upgrade it, it would likely end up as a money pit.
When Jack set out to buy an above ground storage tank, he discovered there had been some major technological advances. For example, now tanks with more than an 1100 gallon capacity that are made of steel must have a protective layer put into the bottom. There were also lots of regulations about how these tanks could be constructed, like the fact that Weld Procedure Specifications and Procedure Qualification Records guidelines must be followed in the welding of all above ground tanks, according to API 650 section 9. He also learned that API 653, in partnership with The Fertilizer Institute, had a recommendation that a fertilizer tank like that kind Jack was about to buy, should be inspected by a competent professional at least every 5 years.
Once Jack learned some basics about the liquid fertilizer tank industry, he realized he should probably talk to some more neighbors to understand exactly what kind of tank to invest in. He knew that Bob had used steel storage tanks. He’d also mentioned something about field-erected tanks, though Jack couldn’t remember exactly what. More research was definitely needed.
During his continued conversation with neighbors, which did eventually lead Jack to the perfect choice of liquid fertilizer tanks, Jack remembered why he was so eager to give up his city life to rejuvenate his family’s farm. Each of Jack’s neighbors welcomed him with a glass of lemonade and invitation for dinner. They all seemed excited to see the land come back to life, and eager to help Jack however they could. That kind of hospitality was just missing where Jack had lived most of his life.
