Excerpt from the report Introduction: Grain farming and other industries associated with the production, distribution, and utilization of grain constitute a vital part of the economy of this country as well as that of many others around the world. An extensive distribution system made up of farms, storage elevators, and a network of transportation is involved in the movement of grain from producing areas in the Unites States to domestic and overseas processors. This report describes the basic facilities and equipment used and the operations performed in the system.