Written By: Roy Ritchie, Grain Cleaning DivisionAug 22, 2012
The indent cylinder machine is designed primarily to separate grain by kernel length. It separates long kernels from shorter ones. The cylinder itself is a thin-walled tube with indents formed on the inside to the shape of a hemisphere. These indents are known as pockets.
By using indent pocket size, the kernels that fit into the pocket are lifted up and dropped into a trough that runs the entire length of the cylinder, while the longer kernels slide off and tail out the end. Indent pocket sizes are measured in 64ths of an inch similar to screen sizes used on screen machines. These cylinders are case hardened to give them a longer life span. Cylinders not hardened would wear out very quickly.
The cylinder always lifts up the shorter product that fits into the pocket and always tails off longer kernel; shorter from longer! A smaller pocket like a #13 will lift small weeds like buckwheat while tailing out wheat, while a larger pocket like a # 20 will lift wheat and tail out wild oats. Using combinations of different indent pocket sizes can do very fine separations of these products.
Indents use a combination of pocket size, centrifugal force, friction and gravity to make separations possible. By using different pocket sizes, particles of a certain size are able to be lifted off. The speed that the cylinder turns creates friction and centrifugal force that hold the particle in place. As the cylinder turns, that particle is lifted to a point where gravity takes over and allows the kernel to fall into a collection trough.
Speed of the cylinder is critical: too fast and the kernel is carried too far; too slow and gravity drops the product before reaching the collection trough. Usually indent speeds are between 42 and 58 RPM. One or two RPMs can make a huge difference in separation and capacity.
The receiving trough catches and carries the lifted kernel to the end of the machine and discharges them into a spout. This trough is adjustable in order to make the cut or separation at the exact point of the particle size variation desired. The separation of the products usually happens between 60 and 45 degrees ahead of top dead centre.
Due to the fact that various seeds have different moisture, surface conditions, and specific gravity it is important to be able to hold the cylinder at a constant speed. Any fluctuations in speed will affect the actual trough adjustment and therefore the separations.
While feed flow and constant cylinder speed are critical, the unit is no better than the person running it. If you take time to understand the operation of the unit and allow a reasonable time after making adjustments you will find that the indent cylinder, regardless of make will do a good job for you. It will do this with minimal attention and service for a long period of time.
We at Flaman have several models and makes of indents available for sale. We are here to help.
This is one man’s opinion...
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged with grain cleaning indent cylinder grain kernel Flaman grain sorting | More articles by Roy Ritchie
Written By: Sheldon Ball, Mar 07, 2012
As a new employee at Flaman Sales, and a new resident to Saskatchewan, I’m excited to be starting a new career in the grain cleaning industry. With a background in the field of computer technology, I’m definitely starting from square one. Being new to the field is a little daunting, but I hope my “fresh” perspective can provide valuable insights and new ideas.
With the problem of ergot across the prairies over the last few years, there has been an ever increasing demand for efficient and effective grain cleaning. Ergot is a fungus which is toxic. It can cause infertility in humans and animals in fairly small doses and can cause a host of other health issues including death. Color sorters have been proven to be excellent tools to engage this problem with.
They are capable of removing almost all of the ergot from contaminated loads of grain. Since the tolerance level of ergot in the market (for wheat) ranges from about 0.04% to 0.01% depending on the spec, these machines are very necessary in sorting grain to a saleable product.
This is where I fit in. I have been hired as the new color sorter field technician. Basically, these machines are designed to separate “good” grain from “unwanted” grain. These machines are full of electronic, mechanical, and pneumatic components. The high flow machines are capable of sorting up to 25 tonnes of grain per hour. Flaman primarily sells two models; the Alphascan II and the Evolution. The Alphascan II is a monochromatic machine which is excellent for sorting high volumes of product with color differences in one light spectrum. These are the work horses for dealing with ergot. The Evolution is a full color sorting machine which is best utilized for sorting product with many different colored defects.
From what I’ve seen, both of these machines are phenomenal sorters and I’m excited to be a part of the industry which is providing better, cleaner products to the world’s markets. I’ll be traveling all over the prairies this year making sure these machines are in tip top shape and making their owners (our customers) money. I’m looking forward to meeting all existing customers and hopefully some new ones as well.
-Sheldon
Posted in Division News | Tagged with Grain Cleaning and Handling Colour Sorter Ergot | More articles by Sheldon Ball
Written By: Roy Ritchie, Grain Cleaning SalesJan 27, 2012
Operation of an Air and Screen
As the name implies, air screen machines use a combination of suction air that is drawn through the curtain of grain as it falls from the hopper onto a series of screens. The screens then size the product by width of the kernel, and a final air suction process is used.
With an air screen, the grain is fed onto the screens by either a vibrating feed system or by using a metered feed roll. In either case a feed gate controls the flow and an even flow is given to the machine. Making sure there is an even flow is critical to the quality of the job to be done.
As the grain falls from the feed system onto the screens, there is a process by which air is drawn through the curtain of grain. By doing so, light grain, chaff and dirt are drawn off the product before the grain touches the screens. The air mixed with dirt etc. is drawn into an expansion chamber where the chaff etc. separate and the heavy material is augured out. This process is the first thing that happens and it is also the last process as the grain leaves the machine. Increasing or decreasing the air volume allows the operator to decide how much product he wishes to remove.
Screens size the kernels by width. A system of screens removes any product that is wider than the kernel chosen [scalping], or narrower than the product chosen [sifting]. Screens are generally measured in 64ths of an inch, For example a 5.5 round would be a sifting screen for flax and would be 5 and ½ 64ths of an inch in diameter.
There are several types of screens available in perforated steel. Round hole, slotted hole, and triangular hole are the ones generally used for grain cleaning. There are also a variety of wire mesh screens available for special use. The type of grain dictates the type of screen.
We at Flaman have over 100 years of combined experience in screens, over 55 sizes of screen material in stock, and are dedicated to offering our customers top notch service.
This is one man’s point of view…
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged with Grain Cleaning and Handling air screen grain cleaner sieve sift scalf | More articles by Roy Ritchie
Written By: Flaman Grain Cleaning, Grain Cleaning SalesDec 14, 2011
Another winter is among us! Combines are put away, fall work is done (we hope), and the cows are coming home. Here at Flaman we are looking forward to another grain cleaning season. I am really looking forward to getting on the road to see as many people as possible that are cleaning, or are thinking about cleaning their own grain. After an above average harvest in most areas of Saskatchewan and Alberta there is one thing on most people’s mind, Ergot. There was a number of ergot issues ranging from North Battleford all the way to Edmonton and as far south as Medicine Hat. This means busy times for Colour Sorters in Saskatchewan and Alberta. At Flaman Grain Cleaning and Handling we are offering free colour sorter demos where you can bring in your own sample and watch the Satake Colour Sorter do its’ magic! The Western Canadian Crop Production Show is back in Saskatoon from January 9th – 12th, 2012. I will be making my way down the Yellowhead to Edmonton on January 11th – 13th, 2012 for the Alberta Seed Cleaning convention taking place at the Westin Hotel. This is a first time show for myself and I am very excited to see the people behind the Co-op Seed Cleaning Plants of Alberta. Christmas is coming fast so make sure to get that Christmas shopping done and have a very safe and happy holiday season!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged with Grain Cleaning and Handling Colour Sorter Ergot Winter Saskatchewan Winder Alberta | More articles by Flaman Grain Cleaning
Written By: Roy Ritchie, Grain Cleaning SalesDec 12, 2011
Ergot is a type of fungus that grows on many grasses, rye, wheat, barley, and triticale.It infects the floret of the grass or cereal and mimics the process of pollinated grain growing on the plant. On ergot infected plants, a spore destroys the ovary, and then connects to the plant by attaching itself to the plant’s seed nutrition system. An infected floret can also infect other florets by insect dispersal of the asexual spores. That means that an insect can carry millions of the spores to other plants in the region. When mature ergot drops to the ground the fungus remains dormant until proper conditions trigger its fruiting phase, germinate and re-infest an area.
Ergot is toxic. Infestations in the grain can cause spontaneous abortions in people and animals, as well as some very unpleasant symptoms. It can cause irrational behavior, seizures, convulsions, unconsciousness, even death. This explains why there is almost zero tolerance for ergot in grain for sale. Much of the grain should not even be fed to animals. Point zero one [.01%] percent is all that is allowed for a #1 specification.
Ergot has infected a wide area in Saskatchewan and Alberta over the last few years. Some places have had the infestation 3 or more years in a row with various areas having ergot at 0.7% and higher. It is getting worse. My personal belief is that it is here to stay. Some years will be better than others but it will always be a market factor. Plant scientists don’t even have a straight answer to this problem. There is a wide difference of opinion. Maybe a prolonged dry spell will reduce the amount but as soon as it rains at the right time again we are back to ergot woes.
This is only one man’s opinion…
Next installment, how do we proceed? Colour Sorters vs. Gravity Tables.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged with Grain Cleaning and Handling Colour Sorter Ergot | More articles by Roy Ritchie
Written By: Flaman Grain Cleaning, Grain Cleaning SalesAug 22, 2011
Southern Saskatchewan 2011 harvest is under way! The combines are rolling through peas and lentils in most of the areas that I have seen. The crops are looking above average in most areas of the south, after a rainfall of 25 to 30 inches in the south last year it is not hard to compare the quality of this year’s crop. Pea acres seem to be down substantially this year compared to recent years, after seeing what the quality of the peas are this year, this may be a tough pill for some farmers to swallow especially if the price continues to rise. The lentil quality also looks very good this year, after the European’s declared no glyphosate on lentils I have seen a few more lentil acres being swathed this year. Canola is being swathed daily and more and more acres are down every day, the canola crop’s look very good in southern Saskatchewan this year, which is a different look this year due to the fact that you would not usually see so many canola acres in Southern Saskatchewan, But with last year’s chem.-fallow acres very high it set farmers up well for a large canola year. Wheat and durum are slowly behind in some spots I have seen; staging anywhere from seeing wheat being swathed to wheat that still needs 3-4 weeks frost free weather to avoid another feed wheat year. As long as we can keep that white combine away, I would say that the 2011 crop year will be a very successful year in most areas of the South that did not drown out in June.
Posted in Division News | Tagged with saskatchewan harvest combine crops lentils peas southern | More articles by Flaman Grain Cleaning
Written By: Mitch Flaman, Grain Cleaning DivisionFeb 16, 2011
The Flaman Grain Cleaning and Handling Division would like to congratulate Blaine Cowan from Storthoaks Saskatchewan, as well as Jason & Sheila Marshall from Inglis Manitoba, on winning the Flaman Grain Cleaning 2011 draws! Each winner will receive a 12-piece hand tester sieve package just for entering their names in the draw bin at either the Crop Production Show hosted in Saskatoon or Brandon Ag Days hosted in Brandon. This package retails at $250 and makes testing the dockage in your grain a breeze. Congratulations and thank you to everyone who took the time to enter their names at the Flaman Grain Cleaning and Handling booth at each show. Thanks again and we’ll be seeing you soon!
Posted in Division News | More articles by Mitch Flaman
Written By: Jennifer Thompson, Marketing DivisionJan 15, 2011
One year after a devastating earthquake struck the capital of Haiti, Frank Flaman has once again generously given half a million dollars to support the relief effort.
In a simple presentation on Jan. 12 at Flaman Sales in Nisku, Flaman donated $250,000 to the Salvation Army and $250,000 to Oxfam. These funds are in addition to the $500,000 he donated to the same charities shortly after the earthquake hit in 2010 through the Frank Flaman Foundation.
“These charities do a lot of good work,” says Flaman. “And there’s a real need in Haiti. There’s still so much suffering there – people are living in tents with no clean water.”
Around 230,000 people died and 1.5 million were left homeless after a magnitude seven earthquake struck the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince last year. Billions of dollars in international aid have been donated toward relief work, but money is still needed to reconstruct the devastated city.
“This donation is a symbol of the generosity Canadians continue to demonstrate as Haitians struggle to rebuild their country,” says Robert Fox, executive director of Oxfam Canada. “It's a tremendous display of support at a time when it's needed most."
Since the earthquake, Oxfam has provided clean drinking water and sanitation facilities to more than 400,000 displaced people, provided 98,000 people with emergency shelter, distributed hygiene kits containing personal-care items like soap, shampoo and towels to 120,000 people and assisted 175,000 people in reopening businesses and removing rubble through cash-for-work programs. Among other programs, the organization has spent $19.5 million on water, sanitation and hygiene and $11 million towards emergency food security and livelihoods programs.
The Salvation Army currently operates 49 primary schools throughout Haiti, along with several children’s homes and secondary schools. The Army’s medical work includes maternity programs, dispensaries, tuberculosis clinics, primary health care centres and a nutrition centre.
“I would like to express our sincere gratitude for the support Frank Flaman has provided for our work in Haiti,” says Karen Diaper, The Salvation Army’s assistant public relations director. “This donation will help many people on their road to recovery and redevelopment. Without such community minded, generous people as Frank Flaman, The Salvation Army wouldn't be able to provide such assistance, in Haiti and around the world.”
Along with its support for Haiti, the Frank Flaman Foundation has funded and helped countless global charities provide their valuable services, both locally and around the globe. For more about the foundation visit www.flaman.com/foundation
Posted in Uncategorized | More articles by Jennifer Thompson
Written By: Mitch Flaman, Grain Cleaning DivisionMay 26, 2011
The Flaman Grain Cleaning and Handling Division would once again like to welcome you to join us at the Western Canada Farm Progress Show in Regina, Saskatchewan. The show starts June 15th and ends June 17th.
Come out and learn about cutting edge technology, emerging trends, and ever-changing demographics. Learn how to combat the unpredictable weather patterns we have been seeing and maximize efficiency on your farm this year. Swing by our booths and take advantage of the innovative solutions we have to offer you such as colour sorters to remove ergot from wheat or the Will-Rich Vertical Tiller to help keep you stay afloat.
Flaman Grain Cleaning and Handling Division will be displaying our newest addition to the vast line of products that we offer, the Light Foot Cleaning Machine. The Light Foot is a simple and compact air/screen grain cleaner, great for “on the farm” use.
Come and see us at the show for more details and don’t forget to enter your name into our draw for a 12-piece dockage testing kit. That’s right, we’re giving away a 12-piece hand-tester sieve kit set to your specifications to test your various commodities. See you at the show!
Posted in Division News | Tagged with Western Canada Farm Progress Show Flaman Grain Cleaning Light Foot Cleaner Hand Sieve Draw | More articles by Mitch Flaman
Written By: Jennifer Thompson, Marketing DivisionJan 11, 2011
We’re doing it again!
Due to the overwhelming success of our first contest, Flaman Sales is once again hosting the Great Stuck in the Muck Photo contest. But this year’s contest will be bigger and better!
We are opening it up to entries from across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. And this time entrants have the chance to have their best “stuck” photo featured in a calendar for 2012. The public will vote for photos just like last time, but this year they can vote for pictures in different categories such as Best Overall Stuck, Best Tractor Stuck, Best Combine Stuck or Most Comical. The winners of these categories will be included in the calendar, which will be on sale in November. All proceeds from calendar sales will support local charities.
Here’s how the contest works:
- Upload and view photos at www.stuckinthemuck.com starting March 1 until Sept. 30.
- Voting will begin Oct. 1 and go until Oct. 30.
- The winners featured in the calendar will also win a new tow rope.
- There will be five random winners again (including at least one from each province), so everyone has a chance to win!
Start taking your pictures right now! You can still visit www.stuckinthemuck.com to see all the great photos from last year and check out the new ones starting March 1.
Posted in Uncategorized | More articles by Jennifer Thompson
Written By: Jennifer Thompson, Marketing DivisionDec 24, 2010
We’ve made the draw for the random winners of the Great Saskatchewan Stuck in the Muck photo contest.
Congratulations to the winners who also get a new tow rope:
Trevor Berkan, Southey
Rick Yagelniski, Springside
Diane Coombs, Wroxton
Nicole Squires, Prince Albert
Monty Kovlaske, Humboldt
We’ve had more than 72,000 visits to the Stuck in the Muck website from across the globe since the contest launched. Over 300 people signed up and submitted 365 photos. Thanks to everyone who support us and helped make the contest a success!
We’ve been getting lots of attention in the media too! We’ve had stories on CBC Radio, CBC Online, CTV, Global, CJWW, News Talk CKOM, CKBI in Prince Albert and CJGX in Yorkton to name a few!
Don’t forget to give us a “Like”!
We know many producers had a rough time seeding and harvesting in the mud, but we hope you had some fun with this contest and were able to have a few laughs about the “sticky” situations.
Trevor Berkan
Rick Yagelniski
Diane Coombs
Nicole Squires
Monty Kovlaske
Posted in Uncategorized | More articles by Jennifer Thompson
Written By: Jennifer Thompson, Marketing DivisionDec 21, 2010
What started out as a frustrating time with spinning tires and sticky terrain has turned into a winning situation for five Saskatchewan farmers.
Flaman Sales has announced the winners of the Great Saskatchewan Stuck in the Muck photo contest, as voted on by the public. The winners of a brand new tow rope are:
- Carla Debnam, Chruchbridge
- Wayne Ratzlaff, Waldheim
- Richard Semchuk, Meath Park
- Evan Sauer, Edenwold
- Lori Wuchner, St. Gregor
After farmers across Saskatchewan dealt with record rainfall this past spring and summer, Jody “Joe” Kemp, with Flaman Sales in Southey, soon realized that getting stuck in the mud was a province-wide epidemic. He came up with the idea of the contest where farmers could submit their best “stuck” photos and share their experiences with each other.
And share they did – since the contest launched Nov. 8 there have been more than 60,800 visits to www.stuckinthemuck.com as people have viewed and voted for the over 360 photos entered from across the province.
“This contest has exceeded our expectations,” Kemp says, noting he’s received a lot of positive feedback from customers as well. “I think it became so popular because everyone was in the same predicament this year. Everyone could sympathize with each other. While getting stuck was depressing at the time, people are looking at all the photos and they’re laughing about it now.”
First place winner Carla Debnam, who combined 10 quarters of grain near Churchbridge, agrees the contest has been fun and enjoyed looking at all the “wonderful” photos that were entered. She says it’s nice to win a prize after dealing with such a difficult harvest.
“Saskatchewan farmers had it rough,” she says. “Everyone deserves a pat on the back.”
After getting stuck pretty bad this year, Debnam is sure she’ll need a new tow rope. With all the snow, she thinks there could be a wet spring next year.
Flaman Sales will also be drawing five random winners from all of the entries on Wed., Dec 22 who will win a new tow rope as well. The winners, along with the Top 25 and all the submitted entries, can be viewed at www.stuckinthemuck.com. Photos can still be uploaded for sharing and the site will remain up for viewing.
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Posted in Uncategorized | More articles by Jennifer Thompson
Written By: Jennifer Thompson, Marketing DivisionDec 06, 2010
It’s time to vote!
We need your votes to help pick the winners of the Great Saskatchewan Stuck in the Muck Photo Contest. We received more than 280 great photos and it’s too hard for us at Flaman Sales to choose.
From Dec. 6 to Dec. 20, you can visit www.stuckinthemuck.com every day and vote for your favourite photos. You can vote once per photo each day, but there’s no limit to the number of photos you can vote for every day.
The top 5 photos with the most number of votes will win a brand new tow rope!
But don’t forget, every photo has a chance to win. We’re drawing five random winners from all the entries to win tow ropes as well.
If you still have a great stuck in the muck picture you’d like to submit, that’s OK, we’ve extended the deadline for entries.
People are already voting so hurry and cast your vote now! Check back each day to see the front runners – you never know, your vote could make a difference.
Posted in Uncategorized | More articles by Jennifer Thompson
Written By: Mitch Flaman, Grain Cleaning DivisionNov 22, 2010
Frustration regarding grain standards is on the rise. Although the Canadian Grain Commission claims that they try to equally apply grading standards from year to year, a number of grading factors are still susceptible to human discretion.
It is important to know just exactly what is in each bin and what you may potentially be offering as a sample, especially on a year like this where quality problems are sinister. Flaman Group of Companies offers a variety of different tools and equipment to make sure your sample is as accurate as possible this year. They offer Brass Grain Probes for obtaining samples, Hand Tester Sieve Kits for testing dockage, and even bug lights for checking for insects. Various Air/Screen machines, and even colour sorters can be purchased for an exceptional result.
Swing by your local Flaman location today and check out some of these great products.
Posted in Product Information | More articles by Mitch Flaman
Written By: Jennifer Thompson, Marketing DivisionNov 09, 2010
With record rainfall across Saskatchewan this past spring and summer, many farmers found themselves in sticky situations.
“It’s no secret that everyone in the province was getting their equipment stuck in the mud,” says Jody (Joe) Kemp, with Flaman Sales in Southey.
Almost every customer he spoke with had gotten stuck at one point and Flaman Sales even had a waiting list for tow ropes. Kemp says his friends kept sending him photos of their tractor or sprayer caught in the mud, and each one was unbelievable. But he soon realized this wasn’t just happening in southern Saskatchewan – getting stuck in the muck was a province-wide epidemic.
“As farmers, we are all in this together,” Kemp says, adding he thought it would be neat to have a place where farmers could share their experiences. So Flaman Sales created the Great Saskatchewan Stuck in the Muck Contest, where producers can upload their best stuck photos on the Internet and have a chance to win great prizes.
“Getting stuck is depressing at the time, but when you look back at the photos afterwards you can laugh,” Kemp says, “If a guy was having a bad day and he sees a picture of someone 10 times more stuck than him, it might make him feel better.”
Farmers can visit www.stuckinthemuck.com to submit their photos and view and comment on the other entries. Starting December 6, the public can vote for their favourite photo and the top five photos will win a 50 foot, $469 tow rope. Flaman Sales will also be drawing for five more tow ropes from all the entries, so everyone has a chance to win.
“We feel for all of the farmers in the province and care about the wellness of our customers,” says Kemp. “This is a way to build community with the agricultural producers. If there’s someone in Estevan looking at photos from Yorkton, he’ll know we all had to deal with the same issues.”
In one of the worst stories he heard, Kemp says a farmer had a stuck sprayer, so a truck and trailer was brought in to unload the chemical. But the truck and trailer got stuck so a four-wheel drive tractor was brought in to pull it out. A backhoe was needed to dig out the sprayer, but it too got stuck and needed to be pulled out by the tractor. In the end, it took two four-wheel drive tractors to pull out the sprayer.
“When they got that equipment out, people were cheering like the Riders had just scored a touchdown,” Kemp says. “I’ve talked to farmers who’ve been farming for 80 years and they all agree it’s never been like this.”
Producers can submit their stuck in the muck photos until Dec. 5 and there’s no limit to the number of photos you can upload. Voting will run from Dec. 6 to 20. Voting is limited to one vote per person per day. Visit www.stuckinthemuck.com for more details. Posted in Uncategorized | More articles by Jennifer Thompson
Written By: Mary MacArthur, Oct 13, 2010
By Mary MacArthur, Camrose bureau
August 12, 2010
CLIVE, Alta. — A colour seed sorter has kept the Clive Seed Cleaning Coop in business, says the chair of the co-op’s board.
“We think it’s going to save our operation,” Dave Rainforth said.
“We realized it would shut down if we didn’t look for ways to improve our cash flow.”
The seed cleaning plant in Clive, northeast of Red Deer, is similar to the hundreds of plants that were once as common in small towns as grain elevators. They were built in the 1960s and 1970s as a way to encourage and help farmers clean grain for seed.
However, the amount of seed cleaned at the aging plants stagnated with the introduction of new crop varieties that must be bought new each year.
The Clive plant cleans 150,000 bushels of grain per year, down from a high of almost 300,000 bu. in 1998- 1999.
The addition of the $250,000 colour sorter in March has already increased the amount cleaned and has saved farmers thousands of dollars in dockage.
“It’ll save guys like me $100,000 a year or more,” Rainforth said recently as he unloaded a truck of moisture-damaged wheat.
He expects the computerized colour sorter will improve the grade from feed to No. 2.
Assistant plant manager Kelly Giles said he’s seen a wheat grade increase from feed to No. 1 when the ergot was removed with the help of the new system.
Another farmer, who accidentally dumped canola into a bin that contained fertilizer, was able to use the colour sorter to remove the fertilizer and make the crop acceptable at the elevator after it was initially rejected.
The sorter can remove anything that is a different colour: wheat from barley, barley from canola, ergot from wheat.
“As long as there is a colour change, we can take it out,” Rainforth said.
The board paid for the sorter and other improvements by selling 130 $2,500 shares to local farmers. Each share guarantees farmers the ability to sort and clean 10,000 bu. per year.
The plant expects to clean 800,000 bu. of grain this year because of a bigger than normal ergot problem caused by wet weather.
Rainforth said local support for the project was significant.
The county gave the plant a matching $250,000 grant and the village of Clive gave it a tax break. The plant is the village’s only industry.
Local farmers and community residents volunteered to pour cement and build a climate-controlled room for the machine.
Rainforth said the colour sorter earns farmers money by increasing their grades, while the extra revenue allows the plant to pay for repairs and upgrades as well as hire Giles as a second employee.
“The potential to make shareholder farmers money is huge and it will make us money too,” Rainforth said.
The share sale and volunteer labour have also allowed the plant to increase its elevator storage capacity to 50,000 bu. from 5,000 bu.
Rainforth said farmers will now be able to grow malting barley on wheat stubble and not worry about wheat contamination in the grain.
A camera reads colours as the grain flows down a panel and shoots out blasts of air to remove the off-colour grain.
“I’ve got it set for ergot,” Giles said as he cleaned grain.
“It’ll blast that out and usually a couple of the neighbouring pieces.”
Added Rainforth: “It’s an amazing machine.”
http://www.producer.com/Markets/Article.aspx?aid=25163
Posted in Testimonials | More articles by Mary MacArthur
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