GrainsWest Fall 2019

Tech 2019 grainswest.com 35 RAIN SAMPLINGMIGHT BE THE WORLD’S most inexact science. Kim Althouse, founder of Tisdale’s AG Sampling Systems, knows the busy lives of farmers is culprit No. 1 when it comes to inaccurate samples. There are so many things going on at harvest time that sampling isn’t top of mind, said the Tisdale, SK, resident. “The guys hauling from the combine who are charged with collecting a sample may or may not know the scoop-and-pail sampling procedure or appreciate the importance of a representative sample in the marketing process.” Having worked much of his career as a grain buyer and terminal manager, Althouse witnessed improper sampling techniques and human error on a regular basis. Once he was “retired,” he began developing a simple device that would produce a truly representative sample of an entire load of grain. He completed a conceptual design in January 2018, and by harvest, prototypes were in the hands of farmers. The relatively low-tech device is available in three models, weighs about 2.3 kilograms and can be affixed to any swing- away auger with its universal adapter. The exoskeleton of the Sample Master is 3D printed with polylactic acid, allowing for rapid production. Eliminating a tedious task as well as the potential for human error, the device uses gravity to allow a measured flow of grain to move from inside the auger to a five- gallon pail outside the auger. Within the device, a hollow tube with an adjustable rotation speed measures the number of individual samples collected. An adjustable aperture into the tube can account for individual sample size and variability in the kernel size of various grains. “Because marketing has become more and more important to farmers, they want to establish a brand that the buyer can believe in,” said Althouse. He added that his creation is never caught texting or otherwise ignoring the task at hand. “Farmers also want to be able to determine their own issues with quality, such as moisture and protein, and the value that comes with that.” Larry Woolliams farms near Airdrie and tried the Sample Master for the first time last fall and was impressed with its simplicity and accuracy. “It’s getting a sample throughout that whole load, but if a person is standing there with a hockey stick, maybe they’ll get three samples at the start, and maybe not until the end,” he said. “It takes one thing off their plate while loading.” With 9,000 acres under his management, dependable sampling is important for Woolliams—another reason the Sample Master is here to stay at his farm. “It’s easy to hook up. It literally takes two minutes,” he said. The patent-pending device costs between $750 and $900, depending on models, but was a small price to pay for Woolliams come harvest. “The results were good,” he said. “It proved to be a nice fit for our operation. I love it.” “The guys hauling from the combine who are charged with collecting a sample may or may not know the scoop- and-pail sampling procedure or appreciate the importance of a representative sample in the marketing process.” —Kim Althouse Gravity fed, the SampleMaster dispenses a measured flow of grain into a five-gallon pail.