'Rain' Articles

It’s a scene that’s played out on farm after farm across Canada. Flaman Sales Specialist James Vanbeselaere positions your input and output augers, sets four levelling jacks, flips a switch on the central electric panel, and another farmer is in business. 

If you’ve read our other Bench Custom Grain Cleaners Blog, you know that the business of on-farm grain cleaning makes good long-term economic sense. That blog discussed the savings you could bank, potentially over decades. With James’s help, this one details the ease, versatility, and benefits of operating your own personally customized cleaner. 

Easy Start Up
“They usually reach us somewhat assembled, so we can pull it out to the customers already set up to go,” James explains. Very little time elapses between when it arrives in your yard and when it starts running - just enough to complete the wiring and the steps outlined above. 
 
Ease of Use
The first goal of customizing a Bench cleaner is customer convenience. The central electric panel gives users quick, easy-to-reach, and unobstructed access to the Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) controls that govern their intake and output auger speeds. 

Customers are also likely to admire the convenient method Bench devised for changing screens.

“The A1door latch system is unlike some cleaners that have grader shells you have to unbolt to take off,” James explains. “You wouldn’t have to do that with an Airens screen.” The Bench method is an easy slide-out, slide-back-in process, as James demonstrates in this video.



Dockage doesn’t stand a chance.
“The Bench 54 by 72-inch portable grain cleaner would probably be our most popular unit,” James says. That unit is equipped with components from another manufacturer, Premier Grain Cleaner of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota. Like other Bench models, it does just about everything you could ask to winnow out everything but the top-quality grain you want.

Lighter material is immediately vacuumed away by the Cyclo air system pre-aspirator. Vibrating shaker shoes vibrate the scalp deck, grade deck, and sift deck. Each shoe sits above bouncing balls that help move materials to screens where they either fall through to the next layer or are taken off as dockage. That and a final round of Cyclo aspiration effectively removes everything from straw and rocks to fine chaff. 

A Team of Machines 
There’s even more you can do to deliver pristine commodities, thanks to Bench’s modular extensions. If you’re cleaning barley, you may want to start with a Bench de-bearder to improve your commodity’s flow-ability going into the grain cleaner - and its test weight afterward.
 
Once you’ve filtered the impurities out of your grain, you can take out the broken kernels using an indent screen. This screen is wrapped around a rotating drum, using centrifugal force to hold kernels of a desired length in the screen’s pockets while smaller kernels fall off the drum and are taken off as dockage. It’s a popular item, for good reason, as James explains.

“There were some grain cleaners we sold in La Crête, Alberta that had just Airens screens with indents because he’s mainly cleaning wheat. They grow a lot of wheat and canola up there.” Indent screens are ideal for longer-grain crops like wheat, which has been the commodity that creates the most demand for grain cleaning, James says.

Portable Possibilities
Wheat may be the crop most customers want to clean, but Bench provides options for a wide spectrum of cereal, oilseed, and pulse crops. Priding itself on versatility as well as portability, Bench offers cleaning equipment designed to handle barley, beans, canola, chickpeas, flax, oats, soybeans and sunflowers.

Flaman also has its own screen distribution facility in Saskatoon. Like Bench, we offer an inventory that’s carefully selected to take excellent care of the crops you put in your bins.

Kind to Your Commodities. Easy on Electricity.
“It’s a gentle feed,” James says of Bench cleaners’ easy-going stability. Those carefully set levelling jacks prevent a great deal of commodity damage by offsetting uneven terrain, but Bench took its smooth, crop-friendly operation an extra step.
  
“There are eccentrics underneath that provide a counterbalance,” James says, adding mention of another important benefit: “Once the shaker’s moving back and forth, little horsepower is required to move the tray, because of the momentum. So, guys don’t have to worry about having a big enough power supply to run these.” 

Like to Know More about Operating Your Own Custom Grain Cleaner? 
Flaman Grain Systems experts are ready to show you in-stock Bench Grain Cleaners and answer any questions you have. Call or visit your nearest Flaman location to discuss effective, economical solutions to your farm’s specific requirements.

"Every farm’s going to be different,” says James Vanbeselaere. “Every area will be different, depending on what they're trying to clean.”  As a Flaman Sales Specialist who’s installed and fired up a lot of customized Bench grain cleaners for enterprising customers, he should know. 
  
What he’s showing farmers is a viable alternative to the transport distances, fuel costs, and unloading cues they can see taking their commodities to seed cleaning plants.

Grain Cleaning Comes Home
“You're just paying an expense to have the other guy clean it,” James says. “A lot of custom cleaners charge about a dollar a bushel.  We have customers that clean 10 to 20,000 bushels a year.   So, they're spending, you know, upwards of 20 or $30,000 just to have their own grain cleaned. So why not keep that money in your own pocket and put it towards your own system? You'll be building an asset out of it."
  
That’s why Flaman Grain Systems took the next logical step in the evolution of grain cleaning. It forged a partnership with Great Falls, Montana manufacturer Bench Industries to make on-farm grain cleaning a viable option for more producers.
 
“That relationship was already formed before I started at Flaman,” James says. “So, I guess I’ve just continued it. They fit our needs. We can sell on-farm units in the right sizes for on-farm use.”

Identifying Your Needs. Formulating Your Solutions.
Bench builds their quality grain cleaners to customer specifications, often using farmer-supplied commodity samples as a starting point. They offer a variety of mobile and mini grain cleaners, plus accessories like the popular Airens screens.

“Bench will do a lot of the customization themselves.” James explains. A customer’s specifically recommended combination could start with a portable or modular air screen machine, mini air screen machine, mid-size grain and seed cleaner, or mobile screen machine and include a vital accessory like a debearder/rethrasher, vibratory conveyor, or separator.

Long-Term Reliability 
The tens of thousands of dollars farmers can save doing their own grain cleaning every year can multiply over decades. Flaman has a record of choosing grain cleaners based on their potential long-term durability – choices that have often panned out impressively.
 
“We’ve got a lot of cleaners that have been around for a long time,” James says. “Twenty, thirty, forty years old. They last.”

“VFD” spells power savings and convenience.
Bench custom grain cleaners feature a frequency drive (VFD) that can reduce power consumption by up to 70%. It’s connected to the electrical panel, a single central point of power connection that gives you speed control over your incoming and outgoing augers.



Nationwide Home Grain Cleaning 
Wheat farmers are most likely to take up what Flaman and Bench have to offer. There is also demand for cleaning other commodities. Bench equipment can process other cereal crops like oats and barley, as well as oilseed crops like canola, flax, soybeans, and sunflowers, and pulse crops like peas, chickpeas, and beans.

With Flaman operating its own screen distribution facility in Saskatoon, the two-company partnership can help diverse farming operations across the Prairies – and beyond. We try to be coast to coast, all across Canada.” Wherever they go, these units carry their value with them. 

Cost Savings, Care, and Convenience
“We’re pretty competitive in the price range,” James says. But he adds the real economic benefit is the money and time farmers can save. “They’re cleaning their own grain, so they’re not paying for it.”

That’s before a slew of design benefits that make grain cleaning a more pleasant process from the moment your unit arrives on your farm. You can read about them here.

James answers two final questions you might already be asking.
What kind of customer does Flaman believe is a good fit for a Bench custom grain cleaner? With the variety of options Bench offers and the spectrum of commodities and working conditions they can handle, there’s only one answer: 

“We’re open to everyone.” 

So, how do you find out if a Bench custom grain cleaner is right for you?

“Contact your local farm and sales Rep.”

You can do so by calling or visiting your nearest Flaman location. Our grain cleaning experts will be happy to introduce you to the convenience, benefits, and economy of owning your own Bench custom grain cleaning system.

When you’re trying to take off a crop in a limited amount of time, there are some things you just don’t want in your bin or your transport truck. Dockage and small seeds from weeds like Kochia or volunteer canola can compromise the condition of your harvest while costing you extra time and money. But there’s something you can do about it.

Removing small seeds will increase airflow, which will speed up your drying time and reduce your risk of heating. Taking out chaff, thin kernels, and other forms of dockage will increase your bushel weight and quality, lowering your transport costs. 

Kwik Kleen's high-capacity five-auger 572 and seven-auger 772 grain separators handle these tasks quickly and efficiently. They also help with farming techniques that maximize your land’s productivity. 

They remove what you don’t want. The Kwik Kleen system is ideal for separating large and small materials, earning it a reputation for superior dockage removal. It’s designed to separate light product with advanced features for tasks like sizing barley and taking thins out of cereals.  This will increase your bushel weight, and lower transport costs, because you’re carrying only the grain you want to ship and nothing else.

They’re made for intercropping. Planting two compatible crops in the same ground at the same time can yield several nutritional benefits. When the time comes to separate them, a Kwik Kleen is well suited to separating large and small commodities like barley and canola, chickpeas and flax, and peas and canola. They’re also helpful if you’re sorting out biproducts for other uses, like dockage for livestock feed. 

Cost-effective, high-capacity, and efficient Kwik Kleen grain cleaners excel at dockage separation but can be easily adjusted to perform multiple grain separating tasks.



There’s much more to the Kwik Kleen. Mitch from Flaman walks you through the electrical or hydraulic drive option, available auger sizes, and the variety of screen options available. For more information, call or visit your nearest Flaman location.
 

Three-Phrase Grain Handling Power. Doable. Valuable.
More acres seeded might mean more bushels brought into your bin yard. But it doesn't have to mean more work and expense. As farming grows, new technologies emerge to boost your grain operation's speed and efficiency.



Technology Boosts Productivity.
Grain Dryers like our AGI NECO and Oakland models are designed to run continuously and safely. There's no need for you to spend your time or hire a hand to supervise them. And with remote monitoring systems, you can spend more time working in the field.



The same goes for the Walinga Blower System. Its airflow can move dried grain to your dry bins at rates of up to 2,000 bushels an hour. Achieving those higher volumes depends on the size of your piping and your motor's horsepower. The latter can be a sticking point for many farmers.



Amping Up Your Operation
Most farming operations are still wired for single-phase power. The high-volume systems mentioned above require three-phase power, which hits its peak amplitude three times as often as single-phase for three times the power output. It’s the optimum circuit for power generation. Higher-phase systems prove too complicated and expensive to be worth pursuing. 

Despite its benefits, Farmers aren't often eager to rewire their farms to facilitate three-phase. Fortunately, they don't have to.

How to Convert from Single to Three-Phase Power Safely and Affordably
Walinga Blower Systems and AGI NECO and Oakland grain dryers all employ VFD technology. Variable Feed Drives have two outstanding features. First, they allow your motor to slow down and speed up, limiting energy consumption to reduce your power bill.
Walinga's Variable Frequency Drive Systems monitor and automatically adjust motor speeds

More importantly, they can be set up to draw current from your existing single-phase power source and convert it to three-phase electricity. So, you don't have to change your farm's entire power supply to run one or two bigger machines.



It's worth noting that not every variable frequency drive motor can deliver these results, but AGI, Oakland, and Walinga have engineered their motors with the farmer's single-phase/three-phase dilemma in mind.

Savings and Convenience to Help You Get Growing
There’s a big benefit to this small-scale phase shift. It removes a giant obstacle to building up your bin yard. Instead of waiting until you’ve saved up for a big change, you can increase your grain handling capacity in stages. More high-quality grain in your bin allows you to purchase more components down the road.



Ready to Lower Grain Handling Electricity Costs and Boost Production?
Get in touch with your local Flaman dealer and ask our bin yard experts how you can convert single-phase to three-phase power, add valuable components, and get your bin yard humming....

In agriculture, nothing is ever absolutely certain. However, farmers who’ve used the Perten AM 5200-Farm Moisture Meter say its instantaneous accuracy comes impressively close....

Wish managing your bin yard was a little less complicated? A tied-in grain-handling system can make that happen. Flaman offers several innovative components that can eliminate the effort, expense, and inconvenience of getting your grain safely in your bins. Bringing them together in one place yields a bumper crop of benefits.



1. Reduce Manpower and Save on Labour Costs
Consider all the moving parts involved in traditional grain handling – augers, tractors, and semis to drive in and unload, plus the manpower to keep them moving. Setting up a grain handling system can save you the time it takes to move and operate equipment plus the expense of hiring help.

Options like belly dumping or side dumping grain into a pit that feeds a bucket elevator can be done by one person – saving you a lot of hiring, hollering, and hand signals.



2. Minimize Maintenance Costs
You’re probably all too aware of the cost of running a tractor back and forth to your grain bins. In addition to fuel, extra operating time will also mean more wear and maintenance. Your auger flighting can also wear out, suffering more metal-on-metal damage as time goes by.
 
A self-propelled, belt-driven bucket elevator is designed to avoid impact points, and a pit system can eliminate the need for a tractor to move or power anything.



3. Eliminate Seed and Grain Damage
Of course, if metal can damage metal, it can easily crush any seed that gets caught between an auger’s flighting and its tube. Brittle pulses like lentils and peas are particularly vulnerable to significant and costly damage.

A gentler handling option makes good economic sense. You could employ a low-cost Hutchinson Chain Loop system, operating like a sideways-mounted bucket elevator, or you could opt for the bucket elevator itself, which carries your grain in plastic buckets for minimum damage.



Walinga’s air system takes seed and grain protection even further. Its vacuum intake and blower combo gives your crop an air-cushioned ride to the bin.



4. Invest in the Future Growth of Your Operation with a Staged Expansion Approach
Not everyone can afford to set up a state-of-the-art grain handling system on day one. Fortunately, Flaman can help you structure a budget-friendly plan to expand your grain operation whenever and however you feel comfortable.



You can build up in stages over a number of years. For instance, Stage 1 might mean setting up a reliable bin-and-auger process. Your second stage might include tying all your bins together with a grated pit and bucket elevator system. In stage 3, you might add grain storage or introduce a truck scale or an overhead unload bin you can drive your truck under. Your fourth stage might see the addition of cleaning and processing equipment.

This is just an example. You could switch it up to expand your operation as you see fit. Every customer is different, and Flaman helps each one find an individual solution.



5. Increase Efficiency
Nothing saves time and money like speed and volume. Flaman offers both. Our low-maintenance grain handling equipment is proven to provide a high degree of safety for your crop and yourself. These include grain-moving options with impressive capacities of up to 20,000 bushels an hour.



From Start to Finish, We Have It Handled
If you’d like to make life on the farm more than kinda laid-back, Flaman proudly offers the best-in-class industry experts to help you do it.

You can count on our team of certified technicians. Their collective grain-handling expertise, service, and support are yours throughout the setup, optimization, and maintenance of your operation.

Get efficient this year. Talk to Flaman about the grain handling options that can start saving you money – and about the expansion you can achieve with the money you save.  

Start your better bin yard conversation by calling or visiting your nearest Flaman Agriculture Location....

Nothing says, "hope this will last" like cementing something into your floor. Fortunately, U-Drain pre-engineered floor drains were designed by carefully studying what drainage systems should do - and what they've failed to do in the past.
 
U-Drain engineers examined the drawbacks of previous systems and came up with several unique improvements.


 
Grate-Free Floor Drainage
Over time grates tend to buckle and bend after being removed and replaced for cleaning, eventually ruining the level, low profile of your floor. U-Drain uses no floor grates. Instead, it replaces them with a slotted design engineered to stay in place for decades of service. There's no need to remove or replace anything.


 
So Many Options!
U-Drain includes many features to make both homeowners and business operators happy.


Residential and commercial U-Drain installation examples
 
The slotted surface track is narrow and stays level with your floor, never sticking out from the moment you finish your concrete pour. As a result, homeowners and other property owners can now protect their garage floors, pools, driveways, and walkways without sacrificing style. U-Drain looks good and stays looking good.


 
Because larger commercial buildings may require more than one drain, U-Drain offers commercial customers several accessories for their specific drainage needs. Commercial packages are built to handle heavy-duty workplace drainage from fire halls to animal shelters. Our team will help you choose the accessories that best suit your unique business needs.


 
Long Lasting
Unlike other systems that can show up damaged before you even use them, U-drain is made galvanized and stainless-steel construction. The zinc galvanizing process will provide decades of protection against bacteria, rust, and corrosion.


 
Easy to Install
U-Drain's pre-engineered design makes installation simple. Sections bolt tightly together, lined up perfectly with laser-cut markings. The commercial sections measure 10' in length, unlike the usual 3 to 5' of other drainage systems. That means not only quicker and easier assembly, but also a straighter line going out. Special anchors are welded firmly onto the sections and sump corners, allowing you to secure them directly to your rebar grid.


 
Structural Integrity
Unlike grate systems that can start buckling from the weight of equipment rolling over them, the slim U-Drain track channels the weight into the surrounding concrete. That's why its residential and commercial safe live load capacity exceeds 10,000 lbs.


 
Easy to Clean
U-Drain provides a very simple cleaning alternative to removing and replacing grates. A specially designed cleaning paddle inserts easily into your drain slot. You can walk the full length of your drainage slot, sweeping debris into your sump for convenient disposal. Excess water drains out of 4" commercial and 2" residential outlet pipes running from your sump.


 
Learn More about U-Drain at Flaman
Flaman always takes pride in giving our customers one less thing to worry about, so we'll be happy to talk with you about how a U-Drain system can help make your home, workshop, or business tidier and more productive. We'll have your coffee and plenty of advice on options, benefits, and installation.
 
You can find U-Drain at any of the 11 Flaman dealerships across the prairies. In Alberta, you can find us in Nisku (just south of Edmonton), Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, and Fairview. Saskatchewan has six locations: Moosomin, Prince Albert, Saskatoon, Southey, Swift Current, and Yorkton. We also serve Manitoba, through our Swan River location.

Now that seeding is complete and the crops are growing, you may be starting to think about the next steps in your farming operation for 2022. This likely includes thoughts of additional Grain Storage, Grain Handling, and even Grain Drying equipment.



It may seem early to plan for harvest, but summer is a great time to build your bins and install your grain handling equipment to move the crop come harvest time. Buying now will ensure your equipment is installed and ready to go in the fall – so you can have peace of mind all season long....

It really does matter how you look at it. Watching those harvest bushels pour out of your auger may do your heart good, but your back and neck don’t fare so well.
 
That’s because traditional grain carts unload on the left-hand side, causing you to turn away from your tractor controls. Meanwhile, anyone in your buddy seat has to do his own contortions to stay out of your way while you try to accurately offload grain. All that straining and stretching to see what’s happening makes for a long, unpleasant day - and a sore, sleepless night. 
 
Thankfully, one simple common-sense improvement gives you a clear view of your auger without the aches and pains.



Right-side augers change everything! 

J&M Manufacturing’s right-side auger grain cart makes the most of your tractor’s cab layout. Easy access to controls and unobstructed visibility allow you to effortlessly aim your auger right into the semi-trailers. The increased comfort makes grain handling more operator-friendly— with fewer visits to the chiropractor. 



It works with the extended right-hand swivel of most tractor seats and provides a consistently clear view of your controls and monitors. No more groping around, hitting the wrong button, and spilling your valuable grain. 


 
Farmer Approved

Operators have noted the left-to-right change left them less fatigued at the end of the day. ...

Flaman Grain Systems is Western Canada’s largest custom screen manufacturer.

Not only do we stock over 50 varieties of material for any type of screen you may need, but we also have a team with over 50 years of combined experience in the Grain Systems industry....

At Flaman, we understand that investing in your farming operation and expanding your yard site is important for continued growth and efficiency. That’s why we believe in supporting you from start to finish. ...

At Flaman, we understand that investing in your farming operation and expanding your yard site is important for continued growth and efficiency. That’s why we believe in supporting you from start to finish. ...

It’s here. The legendary orange “gentle giant” from AGI/Batco has received more than a facelift for 2021. After a complete redesign from hopper to downspout, the BCX3 conveyor has a few new features worth bragging about. Aside from the redesigned S-Drive, new Turbo-Clean Wash System, and remodeled fuel tank, there are still 3 big upgrades that make this the most versatile conveyor yet.

...

You can anticipate grain spoilage as a farmer, but you can never be sure when it’s going to pop up. Or where you’ll be when it does.
 
And what happens if your grain starts to spoil or heat up and you’re nowhere near home, but thousands of kilometers away on a family vacation? That’s what happened to Blake Bergen of 3B Acres in Drake, SK in the fall of 2019 when his Florida vacation was interrupted by news that a canola bin was heating up.



He was getting alerts from his Bin-Sense Live wireless grain monitoring system, an award-winning monitoring system that gives you instant access to your stored grain at any time and from anywhere.
 
With this system, farmers no longer have to be in the same physical location as their hopper or flat bottom bins to monitor them. They can get valuable information about the grain's quality and stay connected with up-to-date text alerts sent to phone or email.



Those alerts warned Bergen about the situation in his bin, when he otherwise may never have known.

“That bin was not top-of-mind among riskier bins, said Bergen. “We thought we had that one well looked-after so it surprised us when we got the alert.”
 
Surprised, but not surprised. There were many factors that had led Bergen and his father to install Bin-Sense Live. They had witnessed a dry spring, which led to late crops in July. They also had questions about the storability of straight-cut canola. “We knew we were going to get some stagey canola coming in,” said Bergen. “It wasn’t going to necessarily be swathed at exactly the right time. There was potential for green seeds.”

The Bergens took the proactive approach through grain drying and monitoring. “We thought the odds of having something happen, just the way the crops were looking, were pretty good. We knew if we had a train-wreck, we’d buy a system so it wouldn’t happen again, so why not buy the system before the train-wreck and then it pays for itself?”
 
In summer 2019, Flaman installed a Live system. Moreover, among their 200,000 bu of monitored grain storage, they also have 42,000 bu worth of hopper bins connected to supplemental heat air drying with temperature and moisture cables monitored by Bin-Sense Live. But it was later that fall when Bin-Sense Live’s communicating technology became critical.


An example of Bin-Sense installed on a bin

“We were going on a two-week vacation to Florida with our extended family,” said Bergen. “On day 1 after landing, we got a chirp on our phone that a bin of canola that had increased in temperature. We decided to watch it for two or three days and could see a constant climb of 1 to 1.5 degrees every day. We phoned home and asked some friends to take a semi-load out of the bin. They took it to the elevator and we saved that bin of canola.”
 
Even though heat rose in the smallest of bins, the save justified the cost of monitoring the entire yard. “There are lots of misconceptions out there about spoilage and the size of bin,” said Bergen. “I look at grain monitoring as a solid return on investment,” noting that he paid upwards of $17,000 for the system. Saving 5,000 bu of canola, Bergen estimates Bin-Sense Live paid for itself twofold.
 
He doesn’t spend much time reconsidering the choice between Bin-Sense Live and systems where you check grain on foot. “You can hem and haw about the investment when you have the capability to check your bins manually, but you still have to make a point of doing it. We have 30 bins on the system so it’s more than a three-minute job. It’s a lot of plugging in and downloading. It’s nice to just bring everything up on your phone or your computer and read the colour-coded heatmaps. It’s quick to interpret and see what’s going on.”
 
So how to thank colleagues who have rescued valuable crops? Blake Bergen squared up, returning from Florida bearing gifts of fine imported bottles. Add the cost to the grain monitoring bill, and he still came out ahead.
 
Call your local Flaman dealership today to find out more about how Bin-Sense can make sense for your farm.
 

When dealing with a high volume crop, you may decide that short term storage is best to maintain the quality of your harvest. Grain bag storage is a flexible, cost-effective solution for short term storage of bumper yields, provided certain quality control steps are taken. Site preparation, site maintenance, and machine servicing all need to be done properly and timely to ensure your grain holds its quality and value.

Below you’ll find tips on the preparation and maintenance steps required to ensure that grain bagging is a successful storage option for your operation....

The AGI Hutchinson Double Run Chain Conveyor is a brand new product to the Flaman lineup. It is built in Western Canada with the prairie farmer in mind. Manufactured at AGI’s plant in Swift Current, SK, it is designed to handle delicate crops grown on the prairies, like pulses, far more gently than an auger would.


The UHMW plastic paddles gently convey grain 

Maneuverable in Tight Spaces:
Modeled after the clean grain elevator on your combine, its UHMW plastic paddles convey crops to your bin in a gentle manner. A huge benefit of this is the ability to operate at full capacity from nearly any angle, fitting into tighter spaces.
Another feature of the Double Run is the easy to use swivel arc kit, which makes the unit highly portable around the yard.  You can move it from bin to bin or dryer, by simply swapping a few pins.   


The swivel arc kit allows for easy maneuverability 

Low Power Requirements:
While the Double Run is powerful in getting your grain into the bin, it has a low horsepower requirement compared to alternative grain handling equipment. As an example, 8” model with a length of 82’ requires just 18 HP at a 45° angle (see chart below).  These units are available with an electric motor or PTO drive, giving you plenty of power options.
 


Proven Reliability & Longevity:
We all know an unreliable auger can be a huge problem for your operation at harvest time.  The Double Run was designed as a solution to this problem.  The chain conveyor requires less maintenance and has more longevity than your typical auger. Keep the chain running straight and tensioned properly, and these units will just run. And run. And run. 



Travis Frey of AGI walks us through exactly what makes this unit different:
 

The Double run comes in lengths of up to 82’ on the 8” and 10” models, with up to 4,000 BPH capacity on the 8” and 6,000 BPH on the 10”. It is also available in a 12” model, which has a 10,000 BPH capacity and lengths up to 130’.
 

---

Stop by your local Flaman Ag store or give us a call for more information on this unit.

The benefits of grain bagging are far and wide, chief among them being the ability to use the weather to your advantage. Since the weather can always turn and change on a dime, it’s important to work around it whenever possible, which is where grain bagging comes in. The airtight, controlled environment inside of a grain bag allows you to store grain and plentiful harvest in a dry space, even when the weather outside is less than ideal. By extending the storage life of your grain, allowing you to store more at once and giving you more flexibility in the way you do so, grain bagging gives people the option to have more options.

...

A Walinga Pneumatic Blower System may be one of the most versatile pieces of equipment you can add to your Grain Handling lineup. The Ultra-Veyor is designed to fill bins of various heights and distances from the ground up, allowing you to easily add the system to any pre-existing site....

A Walinga Pneumatic Blower System may be one of the most versatile pieces of equipment you can add to your Grain Handling lineup. The Ultra-Veyor is designed to fill bins of various heights and distances from the ground up, allowing you to easily add the system to any pre-existing site....

As harvest is well underway in most areas of the province, many producers are utilizing their grain dryers early on this season and increasing the available window to combine. Some farmers have even noticed increases in their durum quality as their grade improves after drying....

As harvest is well underway in most areas of the province, many producers are utilizing their grain dryers early on this season and increasing the available window to combine. Some farmers have even noticed increases in their durum quality as their grade improves after drying....

With grain bagging at your side, farming challenges won’t loom over your head.

As we begin to enter the new days of the upcoming farming season, there’s one constant: the harvest challenges that will lie ahead. A huge part of being in the farming business is being able to anticipate challenges and to pivot to them, and every good farmer understands that. However, every good farmer also desires to rise above the challenges presented to them, which is where the right equipment and the right mindset come into play....

As harvest begins to start in many parts of Western Canada, Flaman is here to provide the tools and equipment you need to get your crop off quickly and safely. Along with our wide variety of Harvest Helpers to aid you in your work, we’ve collected some important and useful safety tips for harvest time. We want to make sure all our customers return safely from the field and have the resources to support their employees and family members on the farm.
 
This post will look at 4 main types of safety:...

Grain bagging has been gaining acclaim and popularity among farmers for being a resourceful, flexible, and time and money-saving grain storage option. The benefits are many, and farmers appreciate the efficiency of this innovative storage technique.



If you bag grain, you can expect to experience the following 10 benefits during your harvest season:

1. Saves the farmer's time.

When you bag grain, you reduce time loading grain into trucks and transporting it to grain bins or elevators. You can harvest the grain and store it right there in the field, which drastically cuts down on work time by eliminating so much back and forth to older, more traditional storage containers....

There are many advantages to owning a grain dryer. As we learned last year in Western Canada, harvest 2019 had its challenges; most of which showed up when the crop needed to come off the field. Being able to dry your grain allows you to better manage your timeline and start combining as soon as it’s time to go! The earlier you can get started, the less likely you are to get caught with crop out in the field over winter.



NECO Mixed Flow Grain Dryers are designed to easily and efficiently condition all types of grain for storage. With no screens to clean or unplug, this industry-leading grain dryer is designed not only for its performance, but also its versatility.



The flexible, modular design of these grain dryers make for easy installation and can be customized and expanded to suit any farming operation.


A time lapse of a NECO Grain Dryer installation near Saskatoon

The NECO Grain Dryer’s mixed flow operation ensures even heating and cooling to provide consistent, high-quality grain. The improved air flow, quieter fans, and unequalled fuel efficiency make this dryer a valuable addition to any farming operation.



NECO dryers use Commander Control with a Dryer Master moisture control system to protect the quality of your grain and prevent over- or under-drying. The COMMANDnet system allows remote access to your NECO Grain Dryer to monitor its performance from your smartphone or computer – providing you with total control over your dryer wherever you may be.



It is never too early to start planning for harvest, as we never know what mother nature has in store for us. Bookings are filling up fast, but there are still a few spots left to get your name on a dryer for fall. Our Grain Systems team can customize a complete grain drying system to suit your needs, guiding the setup and installation, and providing service and maintenance along the way.


Hear first-hand from Flaman customers what a NECO dryer can do for your operation

Be ready to get ahead of harvest this year – contact us to book your dryer install with Flaman today.

-----
For more information on our grain handling and grain drying solutions, talk to one of our agriculture specialists at your nearest Flaman location. 

There are many advantages to owning a grain dryer. Being able to dry your grain allows you to better manage your timeline and start combining as soon as it’s time to go! The earlier you can get started, the less likely you are to get caught with crop out in the field over winter.



NECO Mixed Flow Grain Dryers are designed to easily and efficiently condition all types of grain for storage. With no screens to clean or unplug, this industry-leading grain dryer is designed not only for its performance, but also its versatility.



The flexible, modular design of these grain dryers make for easy installation and can be customized and expanded to suit any farming operation.


A time lapse of a NECO Grain Dryer installation near Saskatoon

The NECO Grain Dryer’s mixed flow operation ensures even heating and cooling to provide consistent, high-quality grain. The improved air flow, quieter fans, and unequalled fuel efficiency make this dryer a valuable addition to any farming operation.



NECO dryers use Commander Control with a Dryer Master moisture control system to protect the quality of your grain and prevent over- or under-drying. The COMMANDnet system allows remote access to your NECO Grain Dryer to monitor its performance from your smartphone or computer – providing you with total control over your dryer wherever you may be.



It is never too early to start planning for harvest, as we never know what mother nature has in store for us. Bookings are filling up fast, but there are still a few spots left to get your name on a dryer for fall. Our Grain Systems team can customize a complete grain drying system to suit your needs, guiding the setup and installation, and providing service and maintenance along the way.


Hear first-hand from Flaman customers what a NECO dryer can do for your operation

Be ready to get ahead of harvest this year – contact us to book your dryer install with Flaman today.

-----
For more information on our grain handling and grain drying solutions, talk to one of our agriculture specialists at your nearest Flaman location. 

As seeding is coming to a close throughout the province, you may be starting to think about the next steps in your farming operation for 2020. This likely includes thoughts of additional Grain Storage, Grain Handling, and even Grain Drying equipment.

It may seem early to plan for harvest, but summer is a great time to build your bins and install your grain handling equipment to move the crop come harvest time. Buying now will ensure your equipment is installed and ready to go in the fall – so you can have peace of mind all season long....

The 2019 harvest is shaping up to be frustrating for most.  It’s no secret that harvest is well behind this year, with only 34% of crops being combined in Alberta (47% 3-yr avg), 47% in Saskatchewan (75% 3-yr avg), and 71% in Manitoba (85% 3-yr avg) as of last week.  Wet weather has plagued the prairies, with record rainfall in Manitoba and snowfall in southern Alberta & Saskatchewan in September.  A combination of high moisture levels and widespread crop damage has contributed to diminished grade.

It’s now a race to get remaining crops off the field and although we can’t control the weather, we can help you maintain the grade of your grain by getting it dried faster and limiting spoilage.  The most effective option is a NECO dryer from Flaman, which can be scaled to the size of your operation.  However, dryer installs are contingent on many environmental and logistical factors and it’s far from a guarantee that a dryer purchased today would be installed before the end of harvest. 

So, what does a farmer do if he or she can’t get a dryer installed in time?

Our team in Saskatchewan has heard a lot of stories from our customers who’ve resorted to unconventional methods to dry their grain. The overwhelming favourite by local farmers has been the Frost Fighter (available only at our Saskatchewan locations), which is a diesel-powered 350,000 BTU industrial heater designed to heat remote construction sites and shops. As it turns out, they are also easily adaptable to a bin aeration system and can pump heat into two bins simultaneously. It’s been a lifeline given the soggy conditions.

Kelly Stewart, the operations manager at our Flaman Moosomin location, was the man who made this idea a reality:

“I saw a video a couple years ago of an Alberta farmer using a similar method and he claimed it worked like a charm. It inspired me to try it out given how wet it’s been this year. Some local farmers put it to work and were extremely pleased with the results.  It’s not a perfect solution and we know it’s not recommended by the manufacturers, but desperate times have forced us to think outside the box.

With a little extra work, moving your grain around and monitoring your moisture levels closely, we’ve heard from many happy customers that have seen up to 30,000 BU dried in a week. Obviously, the best way to dry your grain is with a dryer but given how wet it’s been and with more precipitation in the forecast, this has been a great makeshift way to salvage what has been a tough harvest.”

Interested in learning more about grain drying? Talk to one of our agriculture specialists at your nearest Flaman location.

We recently had the opportunity to build the largest private NECO grain dryer in Western Canada – a NECO Mixed Flow 6 Burner D24380 -- for a large farming operation outside of Edmonton, AB.  It was a complex endeavour with many moving parts, and it required many hours of planning to execute.   

We had help from several outside sources: Freeway Transport, who were responsible for the dryer delivery; Xcaliber Crane & Rigging who handled the hoisting of the dryer; and Continental Bins, who provided assembly services.  Additionally, Ron Kleuskens from NECO supervised the build and many members of the Flaman Nisku team assisted throughout the day where they were needed.  And most importantly, the 4 owners of the farm and their sons, daughters, grandchildren & significant others were all present at one time or another throughout the day.  They were the real supervisors! 

Build Day was kicked off with the delivery of the dryer.  This consisted of 7 truckloads originating in Omaha, Nebraska. Each delivery was staggered by 2 hours, which allowed enough time for our crane and assembly teams to position and install each section before the next was delivered.

With the help of our partners and employees – more than 20 people in total -- we were able to install this behemoth of a dryer in one jampacked, 10 hour day.

The dryer will serve as a flagship operation in the area and will likely create business not only for our customer’s farm, but others in the area as well.  It’ll be an economic driver in the area for many years to come. We're thankful to be a part of this project and meet the needs of our customer. Customer service is one of the core beliefs Flaman was founded on and it’s why we’re celebrating 60 years in the agriculture industry in Western Canada.
 

Well, we've had about as much rain as a person needs for the rest of the year. It seems like it's been raining across the province non-stop for the last two weeks of June. We've seen an exceptional amount of flooding this year across western Canada, mainly in High River & Calgary Alberta, but the immense rain stretched and blanketed over Saskatchewan for almost the whole of the last two weeks of the month. In Manitoba and Saskatchewan, most farmers are at least a couple of weeks behind due to the late thaw of the snow, but as it happened, the thaw occurred too fast and now we're left with all this water....

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....

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....

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....