Teen’s Invention May Save Lives

Teen’s Invention May Save Lives CROP STORAGE Grain Storage Mason Gahler of Pierz Minn may be in high school but his credentials already include an invention that could save countless lives a tool he calls the Grain Gyre “My idea for the Grain Gyre started in 7th grade when my ag teacher Mrs Tax showed us a video of a grain bin incident ” says Gahler Accidents like this cause over 20 fatalities a year When grain is unloaded from a bin it flows downwards from the top center creating a funnel that sucks it down to the conveyor at the bottom This flowing grain behaves like quicksand and can bury a full-grown adult in under 30 seconds Getting out can be almost impossible which is why Gahler’s Grain Gyre focuses on preventing farmers from stepping into their silos in the first place The Grain Gyre includes an auger at the bottom of the bin that suctions up the grain and transports it back to the center This prevents air pockets and eliminates the funnel effect meaning a farmer who steps in won’t get sucked to the bottom And because the crop continuously moves throughout the bin it tends to dry faster minimizing the risk of sticking to the sides In November 2022 Gahler worked with his father to build a scale model of his idea “My design has changed a lot since I was in 7th grade; there’s been a lot of trial and error ” he says “The final design focuses mostly on unloading your bin and stirring it during the off-season to get clumps off of the bin’s walls When my dad and I finally flipped the model’s switch it did more than I expected it to!” Gahler is currently working to get his invention patented Looking toward the future he plans to get a model of the Gyre built and installed into a grain bin that’s getting built in his yard This will allow for more testing to ensure it lives up to its promises Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Mason Gahler masongahler@gmail com

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.