PIRTEK Burnsville was contacted by the owners of Pahl’s Market to upgrade a piece of farm equipment. Owners Brian and Gary Pahl are the fifth generation to operate the farm and market located in Apple Valley, MN. A few years ago, Brian recognized the need for a conveyor belt on his farm and envisioned reusing the irrigation unit to make it happen. In the fall, the Pahls reached out to the PIRTEK Burnsville Hose Service Center to bring Brian’s vision to life. Mobile Sales and Service Technician (MSST) Jeff Quast went out to his customer to discuss how to turn one of their old field-irrigation units into a conveyor belt to collect peppers grown on the Pahls’ farm.
PIRTEK added hydraulic hoses, motors and return lines to the irrigation system, which created a 50-foot machine that stretches 16 rows long. The new conveyor belt allows the Pahls and their team to collect crops faster than previous methods. “I have worked with Brian and Gary in the past, but this was the first machine we completely overhauled,” says Quast. “Within three days we had figured out the fittings and adapters, ordered the parts necessary and assembled the machine. It was a fun project and runs well.”
Pahl’s Market owners, Brian and Gary, have paved the way for farming innovation, making sure nothing goes to waste. “The field irrigation unit still worked perfectly, however we needed a machine that could gather the crops quickly,” Gary says. “With the conveyor belt we are able to collect twice the amount of crops within half the time.”
