Edmonton, Alta, January 23, 2012 – Ducks Unlimited Canada, Bayer CropScience and Behlen Industries LP announced Matthew Stanford as the winner of the Bin Full of Reasons challenge in Alberta.

“We are happy to award the last of three Behlen Industries 4,100 bu hopper-mounted grain bins to Matthew Stanford of Coaldale,” says Autumn Holmes-Saltzman, southern Alberta agrologist for DUC. “Out of 60 submissions in Alberta, this entry was selected as the winner by our panel of judges. I know Matt will put the bin to good use on his Magrath-area farm.”

The Bin Full of Reasons challenge asked agricultural producers to provide submissions of how winter wheat is important for conservation on their farm; whether that be conservation of labour, equipment or the environment. The contest received over 200 entrants from across the three Prairie provinces with the most coming from Saskatchewan farmers. The first of the three grain bins from Behlen Industries was awarded to Travis Greenbank from Wawota, Sask. at the Western Canadian Crop Production Show earlier this month and the winner of the second bin was Wade Simpson of Boissevain, which was announced in Brandon, Man. at Ag Days on Jan. 19.

The early maturity of winter wheat helps producers reduce stress at harvest. By having a crop that is ripe and ready to combine earlier, the workload is spread out, taking the pressure off of manpower and equipment resources.

When it comes to Stanford’s farm, winter wheat also protects the environment in many ways. “From an environmental conservation perspective, winter wheat means we can grow more on the same acres. With access to arable land becoming ever more limited and a growing global population, it will become more and more important to maximize production per acre,” Stanford said in his submission. “Winter wheat is an evident fit. If we can improve production on the existing farm land base, environmentally sensitive areas, including wetlands and uplands, are more likely to remain on the landscape.”

As an additional environmental benefit, winter wheat also provides excellent nesting cover for ducks in the spring and habitat for other wildlife making winter wheat a tool of sustainability to incorporate in cropping rotations.

“We are thankful for the support from Behlen Industries who is supplying the three grand prizes for the challenge,” says Holmes-Saltzman. “I’d also like to thank our long-time winter wheat partner Bayer CropScience. Without our Winter Cereals: Sustainability in Action initiative, contests like this would not be possible.”

The shared vision of Ducks Unlimited Canada and Bayer CropScience for the future of agriculture includes a stewardship model that recognizes the agricultural productivity of farmland while retaining and improving the habitat available to North America’s waterfowl and other wildlife. As a result, Bayer and DUC have joined together to identify, research and promote cropping system changes that benefit the conservation of our natural resources in an economically viable way. The first step in this relationship is the Winter Cereals: Sustainability in Action project.

For further information, please contact: 
Karli Reimer, k_reimer@ducks.ca 
National Communications Specialist – Conservation
Ducks Unlimited Canada
Phone: (204) 467-3279