Grainswest - Tech 2023

Tech 2023 grainswest.com 27 Within the bin When Kyle and Tanner Folk’s snowbird parents were away in Phoenix one winter, some of their binned canola spoiled. Driven to prevent such losses, Kyle launched IntraGrain in 2011. The company created the Bin-Sense cellular-connect grain storage monitoring system and in 2019 became a subsidiary of Calian Agriculture, whose vice-president is Kyle’s brother Tanner. Bin-Sense now offers four product lines broadly compatible with existing bin cables to monitor temperature, moisture, or both. The Direct and Live versions were launched 10 years ago and modified over time, with Solo and Plus launched recently. From basic to deluxe, the four products start with Direct, which uses a handheld device that, when plugged into the bin cable, allows the system to connect with a smartphone via Bluetooth and take a reading. Launched in 2022, Bin-Sense Solo provides daily remote readings suitable for farmers who would rather not visit their remote bins each day. Bin-Sense Live delivers hourly readings to the app and dashboard as well as threshold alerts via text and allows the user to control aeration fans. For top-level, autonomous grain monitoring, there is Bin-Sense Plus, available since June. The user sets parameters the system then maintains. The quartet reflects the maker’s approach to research and development. Valuable innovations aren’t always drastic, said Tanner. “It’s about solving real problems in a simple way. The best path is talking to our customers to understand their needs. Can our angle of approach yield better results by increasing their efficiencies or giving them data they didn’t have before?” For instance, it may seem counterintuitive, but certain clients use a combination of Bin-Sense products because they store their most volatile products, such as canola harvested in summer heat and slightly wet grain, in small bins. These may require monitoring beyond the basic. “Bin-Sense is just a hassle-free, wireless grain storage monitoring and automated conditioning system,” said Tanner. “It connects you to your bin conditions whether you’re at home or thousands of miles away.” Even in Phoenix. Bin-Sense systems can be tailored to suit the needs of multiple grain storage configurations. Daily readings from the system give farmers accurate grain storage data. Photo: Courtesy of Bin-Sense