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Drying
Drawer Dryer
- Drawers with gauze bottoms stacked in a cabinet-like structure dry down by warm air circulating around them.
- Dries 10+ lbs
- link to purchase from Agratechniek
Farm-Scale Food Dehydrator
- Ideal for larger seeds like pumpkin, squash, beans. Avoid delicate and high-fat seeds such as flax seeds.
- Dries 5-25 lbs
- link to design
Moisture Tester
Humidity reader (hygrometer)
- can be placed in a sealed bag of seed to determine if the seed needs to further dry
- Test any quantity in an enclosed bin
- $10
- link to purchase
Threshing
Hand Corn Sheller
- Hand held corn sheller ideal for small lots of dry corn
- Crop Variety(ies): Dry corn, sweet corn.
- Seed Quantity: small
- $16
- product link
Corn and Walnut Sheller
- Hand crank corn sheller. Suitable for larger lots of seed corn.
- Crop Variety(ies): Dry corn, sweet corn.
- Seed Quantity: small to medium scale
- $90
- product link
Hand Corn Sheller – PVC Pipe
- Create a mechanized corn sheller by attaching PVC to a power drill. Teeth are cut into the PVC with screws added. Kernels are released as the drill spins the cob against the teeth set in the PVC covering.
- Crop Variety(ies): Dry corn, sweet corn.
- Seed Quantity: small to medium scale
- design link
Threshing Box
- Thin wood strips attached to solid bottom provide extra abrasion. A box with abrasive strips on the bottom allowing friction using your feet or hands to manually separate small batches of seed crops. Ideal to use soft-soled shoes for delicate seed crops.
- Crop Variety(ies): Brassicas, beta vulgaris, beans
- Seed Quantity: small
- link to demo
Hammermill Style Shredder-Chipper
- This piece of equipment has free-swinging hammers that shred, tear, beat, and grind material until it is small enough to pass through the screen at the discharge end of the machine.
- Crop Variety(ies): Brassicas, beta vulgaris, beans
- Seed Quantity: small to medium scale
- $1,200-$6,000
- link to manufacturer
Bucket Grain Thresher
- A 5-gallon bucket, rod, and small section of chain are attached to an electric drill to separate seed crop.
- Crop Variety(ies): Brassicas, beta vulgaris, grains, beans
- Seed Quantity: small
- link to design
Foot-Powered Wheat Thresher
- Easy to use, foot-powered thresher that removes seed heads from plant stalks.
- Crop Variety(ies): Grains, beans
- Seed Quantity: medium
- $180-$1,200
- link to demo
Belt Thresher
- Designed for threshing single plants or bundles of crops. Rubber belts gently remove seed from plant material and moves it to a seed collection chute that empties into a tote.
- Crop Variety(ies): Brassicas, beta vulgaris, spinach, lettuce, etc.
- Seed Quantity: large
- $18,000
- link to product
Combine
- Combines are designed to harvest and process large amounts grains or seed. They are an all-in-on machine that can harvest, gather, thresh and winnow in a single process. Small scale combines are typically very exspensive and hard to source. Try finding used or stationary combines for sale.
- Crop Variety(ies): Brassicas, betas, spinach, flowers, grains, etc
- Seed Quantity: large
- link to product
Screening
Build screens to suit your operation and scale
- Manually sift undesirable material (weed seeds, chaff, rocks, etc.) from seed. Different sizes can be used to isolate desired seed above or below screen.
- Crop Variety(ies): All dry and wet crops.
- Seed Quantity: All scales
- DIY: Build your own screen by attaching hardware cloth or screening material onto a wooden frame. Hardware cloth and screening material can be purchased in various sizes and shapes to create an assortment of seed cleaning screens. Visit these resource for instructions on how to build your own screens.
- Purchase: Source from local hardware stores or online. Industrial Screen Supply has a large selection of screen types and sizes in bulk.
Premade 12×12 screens (8 pack) sold by Strictly Medicinals
- A set of 8 screens that range from 4 strands per inch (coarse) to 70 strands per inch (very fine).
- Crop Variety(ies): Small and fine seed.
- Seed Quantity: small to medium scale
- $325.00
- Purchase: product link
Seed cleaning screens without frame (8 pack) sold by Strictly Medicinals
- A set of 8 screens WITHOUT the frames, each screen measuring 12 inches by 12 inches. The screen sizes graduate from 4 strands per inch (coarse) to 70 strands per inch (very fine).
- Crop Variety(ies): Small and fine seed.
- Seed Quantity: small to medium scale
- $195
- Purchase: product link
Premade 12×12 hand screen sold by Hoffman Manufacturing Inc. These screens come in a large variety of sizes and types
- Hardwood frames that come in a large variety of screen sizes and perforated metal options.
- Crop Variety(ies): Fine to large seed.
- Seed Quantity: small to medium scale
- $67.50
- Purchase: link to product
Gold panning bucket screens
- Premade screens that fit ontop of a 5 gallon bucket. They come in various screen sizes ranging from 1/100 to 1/2″.
- Crop Variety(ies): Fine to large seed.
- Seed Quantity: small to medium scale
- $32.99 for one, $149.99 for a set of 9 screens.
- Purchase: link to product
Nursery Crates
- Use to remove large pieces of plant material from the seed and chaff.
- Crop Variety(ies): Small to large seed.
- Seed Quantity: small to medium scale
Hand powered/operated screen seed cleaner
- Build a Hand Powered Seed Cleaner that uses springs to create motion to sift seed.
- Crop Variety(ies): Small to large seed.
- Seed Quantity: small to medium scale
- DIY: link to design
Fanning Mill or Air-screen Cleaners
- Interchangeable, different sized screens sift seed while a fan blows off chaff
- Crop Variety(ies): Small to large seed.
- Seed Quantity: small to medium scale
- Purchase: link to manufacturer
Almaco Air Blast Seed Cleaners
- Seed first passes through a screening tray to remove large debris, then into an air chamber where the chaff is winnowed from the seed. Clean seed is collected in one catch pan while the chaff and plant debri are collected in another. Works best on small seed lots and for final cleaning.
- Crop Variety(ies): Small to large seed.
- Seed Quantity: small to medium scale
- $5000
- Purchase: link to product
Crippen Northland Superior Supply Co. MICRO 180
- The Crippen is a machine that has 3 screens and two aspirators. During the cleaning process, the seed passes through three different sized screens and aspirators to remove the chaff and plant material. The screens are interchangeable and come in many sizes.
- Crop Variety(ies): Small to large seed.
- Seed Quantity: large
- Purchase: link to product
The Clipper Pacer Manual Seed Cleaner
- A manual “Clipper” powered by bike pedals. When pedals are engaged, the screens move back and forth to create a sifting motion. The centrifugal fan is also powered by the pedals and removes the chaff from the remaining screened material.
- Crop Variety(ies): Small to large seed.
- Seed Quantity: small to medium scale.
- Purchase: link to product
Clipper Eclipse Model 334 Seed and Grain Cleaner
- The Clipper Eclipse 334 is a three-screen Seed Cleaner that can be configured for precise cleaning. The Eclipse 334 uses screens that are 34” x 34” and comes equipped with adjustable air control, ball tray cleaning technology, variable screen configurations, and a complete set of screens.
- Crop Variety(ies): Fine to medium seed.
- Seed Quantity: small to medium scale.
- $12,346-$22,345
- Purchase: link to product
Other Equipment
Gravity Table – Oliver Manufacturing
- Gravity tables are designed for high volume separation of seeds by weight and specific gravity. Gravity tables come in a variety of sizes to accommodate different scales of operation. The deck of the machine can be changed out with different mesh sizes on the surface of the deck to accommodate a wide variety of seed sizes. The air flow and angle of the machine can be adjusted to remove empty seeds, insect-damaged seeds, stones, and other lighter or heavier materials from the seed lot.
- Crop Variety(ies): Wide range including grains, vegetable and flower seeds.
- Seed Quantity: large
- Specs: Motor is typically factory hard wired for 220/440 and 3 phase power. If 3 phase is not available a converter can be installed.
- Purchase: link to product
- DIY: link to demo
Spiral Separator
- This type of separator uses gravity to channel seed through one or two spiral columns, which separate dirt and oblong or split seeds from a round seed crop, or to remove round seeds from an oblong seed crop. The loaded product flows from the hopper over an adjustable cone which divides the material evenly onto the inner flights. With increasing speed, the round material will separate and roll off the inner flights onto a larger outer flight and then exit a side discharge chute at the bottom. The non-round material on the inner flights will exit a center discharge chute at the bottom.
- Crop Variety(ies): soybeans, mustard, peas, vetch, wheat, rye, barley, oats, flaxseed, other grains, and more.
- Seed Quantity: medium to large
- Purchase: link to Seedburo product, link to Profile Industries product
New & Used Equipment
- Commodity Traders International is an Illinois based company that sells a wide variety of used, rebuilt, and new seed cleaning equipment. In addition, they are a Certified Organic Processor Handler for seed and grain cleaning, and offer seed for sale.
- Purchase: Link to Commodity Traders
Farm Folk City Folk, Mobile Seed Cleaner Design and Fabrication Overview
- This document provides an overview of the Mobile Seed Cleaner, its components, and notes about design and fabrication.
- DIY: link to design and fabrication
Winnowing
2.5 Gal. 1.75-Peak HP Compact Wet/Dry Shop Vacuum
- High quality, affordable, and compact wet/dry vacs can be used to remove seeds from fruit cavities or seed heads.
- Crop Variety(ies): All dry and wet seed crops
- Seed Quantity: small scale
- $50-$300
- Purchase: link to product
Box fan
- Traditional box fan for hand winnowing. If possible, find one with multiple speeds so you can adjust airflow accordingly
- Crop Variety(ies): All dry and wet seed crops
- Seed Quantity: small to medium scale
- $20-$100
- Purchase: link to product
The Winnow Wizard – Luterra Enterprises and Oppen Works
- The Winnow Wizard can perform precise density separations to remove hollow/immature seeds, difficult chaff and weed seeds and dirt from seed lots. This machine comes with various screen sizes that allow you to adjust the airflow/fan speed. You can purchase one prebuilt or use open source plans to build your own.
- Crop Variety(ies): All dry and wet seed
- Seed Quantity: small to large scale
- Purchase: link to product
- DIY: link to design
Oregon Seed Blower
- The air lifts up light chaff and non-viable seeds into the removable seed cups while the heavier, viable seed remains at the bottom. Separations can be accurately controlled by adjusting the cap at the top of the air column. The Oregon Seed Blower is ideal for small lots and research plots.
- Crop Variety(ies): small seeds such as basil, carrot and lettuce.
- Seed Quantity: small to medium scale
- $2,400
- Purchase: link to product
Farm Folk City Folk, Zig-Zag Seed Cleaner
- The zig-zag seed cleaner uses a column of moving air to separate chaff and lighter seed from the heavier, high quality seed. The lighter material goes into one chamber and the heavier seed goes into another.
- Crop Variety(ies): misc flower seeds, lettuce, phacelia
- Seed Quantity:
- $300-$500
- DIY: link to design
Hand Operated Winnower
- Challenging to source new but can be found second-hand online or at estate sales. Open source plans to build one are available.
- Crop Variety(ies): all dry and wet seed
- Seed Quantity: small to medium
- Purchase: link to product
BCC Gravity Separator
- Traditionally used for fine cleaning. This machine can separate dense seed from lighter, immature seed.
- Crop Variety(ies): small to medium seeds
- Seed Quantity: large
- Purchase: link to product
Wet Seed Extraction
Millett Wet Vegetable Seed Separators
- Pulverizes fruit and separates the seed of wet seeded crops. It is primarily used for peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, but can be used to pulverize cucumbers.
- Crop Variety(ies): Peppers, tomatoes, eggplants and cucumbers.
- Seed Quantity: medium to large
- Purchase: link to manufacturer
Rimrock Manufacturing
- Precision manufacturing parts for agricultural equipment.
- Purchase: link to manufacturer
Dybvig Seed Cleaner
- Dry & Wet seed processing. This versatile machine can clean very small to large seeds from cones, fruits, berries, flowers, grasses and all other types of plants.
- Crop Variety(ies): both wet- and dry-seeded crops. Often used for tree and native seed crops.
- Seed Quantity: small to medium
- Purchase: link to product
Testing
Seed germination testing manuals
- Association of Official Seed Analysts, Inc., MB #411, 1763 East University Blvd., Las Cruces, NM 88001
- Link to website
Storage
Mason Jars
- Seed Quantity: 0-2 lbs
- $10-20
Ziplock Bags
- Seed Quantity: 0-4 lbs
- $3-40
Plastic Jars
- Seed Quantity: 0-2 lbs
- $9
- $5-40
*Disclaimer: the Organic Seed Alliance does not have a commercial relationship with any of the suggested companies for seed cleaning equipment, all the links here are only for informative/educational purposes.