You can tell a lot about a processing plant by watching the operators.
If they’re constantly adjusting equipment and reacting to problems, something isn’t working the way it should. But when operators are calm, confident, and focused on the bigger picture, that’s when a plant is running well.
At Snobelen Farms, that’s exactly the change we saw after upgrading our soybean destoning system.
We’ve worked with Nexeed and Cimbria equipment since around 2012, when we first added a vacuum destoner to our operation. Our old one served us well for years, but as customer expectations increased and soybean specifications became tighter, we realized we needed better consistency and cleaner separation.
The old machine required constant adjustments, especially on humid days when air density affected performance. Our operators spent too much time managing the equipment instead of focusing on growers and customer service.
Initially, I planned to replace the machine with a similar model. But Nexeed encouraged us to consider upgrading to a pressurized Cimbria destoner with a dual-fan system.
It was a bigger investment than I originally planned for, but the results were immediate.
The new system is far less affected by weather conditions and does a much better job separating stones from soybeans — which is critical when small stones can weigh almost the same as dense soybeans.
After installation, we saw about a 40% improvement in screenings from the stoning process, meaning we were keeping more valuable product while improving cleanliness at the same time.
That improvement became especially important as we introduced newer experimental soybean varieties into our program. Many of those varieties are produced in limited quantities, so minimizing product loss during cleaning and handling is critical. The upgraded system gave us greater confidence that we were protecting product quality without sacrificing yield.
Just as importantly, the machine dramatically reduced operator intervention. Now, our operators complete their setup in the morning and mainly perform routine checks throughout the day instead of constantly chasing adjustments.
When operators are running nonstop, it usually means the plant has problems. But when the equipment is reliable, they can focus on the details that really matter: quality, growers, and customer relationships.
That’s what this upgrade gave us: confidence.
At Snobelen Farms, we believe great equipment supports great people. Anybody can buy machinery, but pairing the right equipment with the right operators is what truly makes an operation perform.
And with support from Nexeed, that’s exactly what we’ve built.
