New Grain Bin Installed at Innisfree Seed Cleaning Plant

New Grain Bin Installed at Innisfree Seed Cleaning Plant

Michelle Pinon News Advertiser

July 21 was a very special day for shareholders of the Innisfree Seed Cleaning Plant as a new grain bin was installed at the facility.

“We talked about and dreamed about this for the last five years,” said Board President Terry Dmytriw. It was definitely worth the wait and judging by the smiles of the faces of several shareholders who stayed to watch the installation they were just as happy as Dmytriw.

Sheldon Dmytriw, the owner of Stealth Bin Products, said it was exciting to see how it all came together. Dmytriw, who also farms near Innisfree and is a current shareholder in the seed cleaning plant, supplied the 12,000 lb. bin. It measures 42 feet high and 16 feet wide and can store a total of 4,000 bushels.

Dmytriw said they had to have legs custom-built for the grain bin. The legs measure 12 feet high and were designed so the gravity feed system aligned perfectly with the bin. He admits there were a lot of angles to consider and measurements to be taken for it to work in a very tight space.

Dmytriw said the project was a total “community effort” and was very proud of the work that had been done to make the dream a reality.

Innisfree Seed Plant Manager Ed Tschetter said it will be great to have the additional storage capacity. It will also allow for more than one truck to unload at a time, saving the producer and cooperative time and money because of better efficiency.

Hats off to general contractor Amyotte & Sons from Mallaig, bin supplier Stealth Bin Products from Vegreville, and Three D Picker Service from Viking for their work, added Terry.

“It’s a big accomplishment for this wooden plant,” noted Terry, and board members who have always tried to increase capacity and efficiency at the seed plant that has been in operation for more than 60 years.

Terry remembers hauling seed with his dad to the plant when he was younger. Terry said he and his father farmed together for 20 years, sharing expertise, knowledge, and equipment. Back in the day, Terry says it wasn’t unusual to come to the seed plant in a 1-ton truck and shovel grain by hand. Today producers arrive in either in tandem grain trucks, tri-axle trailers, or super b’s, and the process is completely automated thanks to the R.F.I.D. tags that shareholders have to use for the scale.

He also noted the original scale was 30 feet which has been replaced with a 100-foot scale to accommodate the big loads.

Even though none of the original board members are alive, he personally remembers Ed Hlus and Raymond Stone, who both served as county councilors. It was back in 1957 when the original members started raising funds to build the plant along with support from local businesses.

The oldest living members are Ed Hlus and Victor Saskiw. “We were lucky to have good members.” Many of the improvements and renovations at the plant over the years are because of forward-thinking, ability to work together for a common goal and keep advancing with the changing times.

Many of the improvements have been made possible through the efforts of community members in the area and multiple agricultural societies who were able to make financial contributions to keep the facility up and running.

The plant serves producers from Vegreville to Vermilion to Killiam and all points in between the areas. Currently, the plant has 150 active shareholders. Thanks to progressive minds and skillful determination the plant will continue to provide a valuable service in Innisfree for many years to come.