b'The MB 111 Xtreme is an upgrade to Dewulfs automated box filling system, which is capable of filling 100 tonnes per hour at a constant capacity,with minimal forklift truck movements.PHOTO: DEWULFDEWULF It takes away theform, squeeze and compress bags from all sides. A Belgian manufacturer Dewulf and its line of potatotouchscreen makes it easy to operate and the fact handling equipment has been a popular choicereally physical labourits built using standard parts purchased in North among potato growers in this country for some time.of stacking bags. ItsAmerica means repairs can be quickly made. Equally It recently released several new pieces of potatoimpressive is the fact it has a capacity to stack up to handling equipment for Canadian growers.not meant to replace24 bags per minute on pallets up to 54 by 60 inches.One of those recent additions was the Miedemapeople. Its therePolstra says the beauty of the machine is that Field Loader 240, a combination of a receivingit allows you to deploy staff more efficiently and hopper with an elevator. The stand-alone transferto make their jobperform less physically-demanding tasks.unit offers high cleaning capacity with ease of useeasier. People can doIt takes away the really physical labour of and dramatically reduces the amount of soil anddifferent tasks ratherstacking bags. Its not meant to replace people. Its waste generated when transferring crops in thethere to make their job easier. People can do different field. Its also suitable for road transport and allowsthan lifting bags alltasks rather than lifting bags all day long, he says. waste to be directed centrally to the ground or into aday long. small truck courtesy of an optional hydraulic heightCROP SHUTTLEadjustment to its soil discharge conveyor.THEO POLSTRA Located just south of the Canada-U.S. border in Another recent product offering is the MB 111Park River, N.D., Crop Shuttle started out building Xtreme, an upgrade to the companys automated boxsugar beet carts. That design was modified a filling system, which is capable of filling 100 tonnes2002 before relocating to Winkler, Man., in 2011.couple of years ago so these custom-designed carts per hour at a constant capacity, with minimal forkliftIt was founded by owner Theo Polstraa potatocan now haul anything from carrots to cucumbers truck movements. It can handle boxes up to 2.45farmer who understood the struggles todays potatoand, of course, potatoes. Crop Shuttle carts come metres in length and 1.45 metres in height, with afarmers facewho began designing his ownin three standard sizes (36, 46 and 56 tons), but total tonnage of up to three metric tonnes. palletizers, big bag fillers and grading lines. can be customized to meet the specific needs of One of his companys newest offerings is its P50individual growers.EZRATEK Palletizer, which has been likened to the Cadillac ofSo, what makes Crop Shuttle different from other Ezratek (formerly known as Packing & Palletizingthe palletizing world. The two-year-old system boastscarts out there? One of the big differences is that it Company) was started in Prince Edward Island insuperior stacking capability because of its ability tohas tracks instead of wheels. That means growers 14 SPUDSMART.COM FALL 2019'