Eaubrink Farm GmbH, near King's Lynn, Norfolk, has expanded its post-harvest capacity and streamlined operations with a new on-farm grain drying, storage and handling plant designed and installed by McArthur BDC. The 11,000-acre business grows winter wheat and barley and spring barley, sugar beet and beans.

Farm Manager, Leopold Stolberg, contacted McArthur BDC as Eaubrink Farm needed to expand its drying and storage capabilities and he had not been completely satisfied with the previous supplier of post-harvest equipment.

"In recent years, we simply didn't have enough capacity and didn't want to keep relying on outdated facilities," explained Stolberg.

Stolberg also wanted to make harvest operations simpler by having a drying and storage plant situated closer to where crops were being harvested. Previously grain had to be transported to a drying facility some distance away, and then brought back to farm to be stored. A new on farm plant would result in a significant reduction in transport costs and manpower hours.

"McArthur BDC was selected as the preferred supplier for this project because from day one, I had a feeling that working with its team, we would be in very professional hands," said Stolberg.

"The McArthur BDC team also worked very closely with the other contractors on site, civil contractor, DG Scales, and Neil Whicker Electrical Services. This collaboration played a key role in bringing the project together."

McA BDC also arranged for Stolberg and DG Scales to visit two of McArthur BDC reference sites so they had sight of different grain processing systems.

Following site visits and detailed design meetings, McArthur BDC supplied and installed a bespoke grain processing system comprising:

• Svegma 54t/hour continuous flow grain drier
• 2x 3,300t Sukup aeration silos  
• Skandia Elevator handling equipment, including:

Below-ground trench intake (100t/hour)

2x belt and bucket elevators

4x chain and flight conveyors

2x paddle sweepers

Dust and chaff remover

• PLC touchscreen control panel, integrating automatic drier control, remote monitoring, live access, and email/text alerts

McArthur BDC also optimised the site layout to keep harvest traffic flowing. The trench intake is positioned next to the weighbridge and new plant office so that loads can be weighed, tipped and turned around quickly without disrupting other farm operations.

Grain enters the plant via the 100t/hour trench intake conveyor which can either:

• Feed the drier line – via the Skandia belt and bucket elevator, through the dust/chaff remover, grain is then transported to a Skanda chain and flight conveyor into the Svegma drier. Once dried, grain is emptied via another conveyor into a second elevator, which feeds a conveyor which distributes grain to one of the two Sukup silos.
• Bypass the drier – the trench conveyor feeds directly into the drier discharge conveyor, allowing grain to be transferred straight into storage aeration silos.

Additionally, a secondary conveyor allows grain to be taken directly from the silos into the adjacent store. This conveyor also enables lorry/trailer loading through a centrally positioned outlet along the new roadway between the silos and the existing store.

When emptying the silos, each silo is fitted with a Skandia paddle sweeper and grain is discharged into the outloading system, feeding into a vertical auger that allows grain to be loaded directly into lorries for simple and efficient bulk loading.

The new plant has successfully met Eaubrink Farm's post-harvest requirements:

• Additional 6,600t of storage capacity.
• The Svegma drier handles peak harvest volumes, minimising downtime and bottlenecks.
• Direct discharge into either silo or the existing store, giving full crop flow flexibility.
• Quick grain movement between drier, silos and store, maximising storage utilisation.
• Safe drying and storage under optimum conditions, reducing post-harvest losses.

"The plant delivers significantly improved operational efficiency with reduced handling times," said Stolberg. "We can now maximise throughput during the short harvest window and reduce bottlenecks, enabling better use of labour and machinery. Its design also gives us the flexibility to expand in future."

Stolberg advises other farmers considering similar investments not to rush the process. "It's important to make the right choice of partner, and that can take time. Although my first impression when meeting McArthur BDC was that working with them we would be in professional hands, I met its team several times before making the final decision. The wrong decision can be expensive and impossible to rectify.

"It also helps to keep a close eye on progress during construction, because designs can look very different once they move from paper to reality. By walking around the site daily, or every other day, you can spot opportunities to make adjustments in good time," Stolberg continued.

"Above all, it is key that you have the right partners, and not too many, and that they are the right fit for you. For Eaubrink Farm, there is no question that McArthur BDC was the right fit."