Blender apparatus with precision low-rate metering unit

A blender apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of individual ingredient metering units for metering individual ingredients, at least one of said individual ingredient metering units being provided for low-rate metering and comprising a driven metering auger and an auger housing for housing said auger, said auger housing having a throat for receiving an unmetered ingredient and presenting the unmetered ingredient to said auger, said throat having a transverse dimension, said at least one individual ingredient metering unit further comprising an elongate tubular hopper and an upper hopper, said tubular hopper having a first end connected to said throat and extending substantially vertically upward to a second end adjacent said upper hopper and providing an unobstructed substantially vertical flow of unmetered ingredient to said auger housing, whereby substantially the entire weight of said unmetered ingredient within said tubular hopper bears upon said auger, said elongate tubular hopper being substantially longer than said transverse dimension of said throat.