For nearly two months, 650,000 bushels of rotting surplus soybeans have been burning in Northwest Missouri — a stark reminder of the lingering effects of the devastating flooding that impacted so many Midwestern farmers. The beans were soaked by the heavy seasonal rains earlier this year, and the summer sun coupled with the heat of decay caused them to spontaneously combust.
The pile is located at the Gavilon commercial grain elevator on the edge of Rock Port, Missouri. According to one source, fire officials decided that the safest way to manage the blaze was to simply let it burn.
Yes, the region is still dealing with broken roads and standing water, but the flooding has done more than that to the economic livelihood and the well-being of regions like this one.
