Farming for the 21st century - how to save time and money with technology
Farming is a profession that is almost 10000 years old.
For centuries, our ancestors worked in the fields equipped with simple tools, relying on the strength of their own muscles and the perseverance of animals. In the second half of the 20th century, the landscape of the Polish countryside was taken over by internal combustion machinery - tractors, harvesters and tractors became widespread.
Today, with the development of automation, the image of running a farm is changing. After all, modernity is not just about unmanned space flights and electric cars.
So let's take a look at how modern technology can improve the operation of your farm. Here's a list of five devices.
1. Auger feeders - simple automation
A screw feeder, also known as a trough feeder, is a device designed to transport bulk material, usually as part of a simple production line. Its operation is based on the rotation of a characteristic spiral screw, to which the feeder owes its name. This element, called the conveying screw, is a kind of concave trough filled with the material to be fed. It can rotate faster or slower thus regulating the feed throughput. The whole mechanism is trivially simple and thus reliable.
Thanks to their simplicity and reliability, screw feeders are used in silos, feed mills, as well as in irrigation systems.
They also prove useful in processing or sawmills. They allow precise dosing of materials and ensure their uniform movement over short distances. Their advantage is the ability to work in harsh conditions and the ease of adjusting the speed of transport, which makes them versatile devices in agricultural production processes.
2. Grain crushers - better feed quality
Grain crushers are agricultural machines that are used to crush cereal grains, improving their digestibility and assimilation by animals.
It is a fairly simple, mobile and relatively small device. It consists of a hopper - a dispenser, a crushing mechanism in the form of steel rollers with notches, and an outlet. The whole structure stands on four adjustable legs. Some crushers also have a magnetic separator that captures unwanted metal particles that may have gotten into the grain.
Crushing the grain breaks down the husk and makes it easier to access the starches and proteins. This simple treatment increases the assimilation of grain by animal organisms by 20 percent relative to grain before crushing - this manifests itself in the form of higher weight gains for livestock.
In agriculture, crushers are mainly used in feed mills, feed mills and livestock farms.
This is a very cost-effective solution for farms that simultaneously grow grain and raise livestock. In such a configuration, independent production of quality feed guarantees full control and independence.
The crushers are effective and efficient, enabling the production of quality feed in large quantities both for personal use and for sale.
It is worth remembering, however, that in order to trade feed, one must have the appropriate authorization.
3. Briquetting machine - cheap energy from waste.
Every farm produces a certain amount of natural waste, or so-called biomass. An alternative to composting or other form of disposal of such leftovers is the production of ecological fuels from biomass.
For this we will need a briquetting machine.
The production of briquettes involves the generation of high pressure inside the briquetting machine, which fuses the material particles to form durable fuel briquettes that are easy to store and transport.
The finished fuel is most often in the form of small cuboids.
Materials suitable for briquette production include: sawdust, straw, leaves, grass, lumber waste, grain hulls, plant stems, unused parts of plants, fruits or vegetables in processing.
Briquettes are a fuel with a wide range of applications when it comes to equipment for burning them. They achieve their highest efficiency in stoves adapted for biomass, but they can also be easily used in universal boilers, coal stoves with air control and industrial boilers. Although less frequently, they can also be burned in fireplaces or so-called "goats." The energy efficiency of high-end briquettes reaches up to 19 MJ/kg.
A device similar to the briquetting machine but slightly more specialized is the pelletizer On farms generating wood-based waste, it can even be a more cost-effective solution.
To learn more about this device click here - all about pelletizers.
4. Grain aerator - safe storage of crops.
Loss-free storage of crops can be a challenge, given the number of parasites lurking in stored crops.
It is even believed that ancient farmers domesticated cats for this very purpose many centuries ago.
However, pests far more dangerous to stored crops than the mice, which no longer pose much of a problem today, are fungi and molds. Among other things, their nutrient is moisture. This is where an aerator comes into action.
This is a device that is used to aerate grain during storage. It works by blowing air into silos or other containers in which the crop is stored. This prevents the growth of fungi and mold.
Grain aerators are equipped with ventilation systems that evenly distribute the air for optimal storage conditions. As a result, grain does not overheat, rot or ferment, which could lead to a loss of nutritional value and quality.
5. Wood chipper - helps keep things tidy
A wood chipper is a device used to shred branches, logs and other wood waste into smaller pieces, chips or shavings. Wood chippers are used to clear areas of branches after pruning trees, shrubs or after logging. Shredded wood can be used as animal bedding, composting material, and as fuel for biomass stoves. Wood chips also make an ideal base for pellets and briquettes.
Wood chippers help keep the farm tidy and make organic waste management more efficient. They range from small, hand-held models to larger machines that require a motorized drive.
Summary
Using high-quality farm machinery increases the quality of the end product, saves time and money. The use of specialized machinery also allows reuse and minimizes waste of many raw materials.
For many pieces of equipment, a seemingly one-time expense can prove to be a profitable investment in the long run.
