Growing Winter Wheat and Promoting Better Duck Habitat

By Harry Siemens

Duck populations are declining across the Prairie Pothole Region due to habitat loss. Because pintails choose cropland and stubble to raise their young, Ducks Unlimited became interested in how farming and wildlife can live better together.

To encourage the use of winter wheat, Cereals Canada in Winnipeg, MB, Ducks Unlimited, and prairie winter wheat producer groups have created the habitat-friendly winter wheat Ecolabel program.

According to Cereals Canada, their Ecolabel program helps consumers identify food and drink items using up to 30 per cent western Canadian winter wheat.

“This way, consumers can positively impact the environment by supporting wildlife habitats and local farmers,” explained Leif Carlson, the director of market intelligence and trade policy with Cereals Canada.

In addition a century-old flour mill and iconic Canadian food brand are partnering with the Ecolabel program to help provide sustainable food options that support wildlife.

Carlson said the Habitat Friendly Winter Wheat Eco- label program resulted from research by Ducks Unlimited Canada. The research showed that ducks and wild birds nested in winter wheat stubble were 24 times more successful than those nested in spring cereal stubble.

“That’s because of the nature of winter wheat and how farmers plant it in the fall and no-tilling in the spring and a good product to promote,” said Carlson.

He said the winter wheat overwinters into the spring and there is no need to work the stubble in the spring which is a critical period for duck nesting.

“The fact that the ground isn’t disturbed is thought to be why some ducks are more successful,” said Carlson.

The Ecolabel goes on packages of product that contains at least 30 per cent flour made from winter wheat. So now customers if they buy those products support duck habitats in western Canada.

Three partner companies use Ecolabel in Canada. Most recently Coyote Pancakes out of southern Alberta use the Ecolabel mills flour and make pancake and waffle mixes.

“We’ve got Beam Suntory distilling Northern Keep

Vodka, which uses winter wheat also in Alberta and Les Moulins de Soulanges in Quebec who mill winter wheat flour for their customers,” said Carlson.

He said the Ecolabel has room to grow and it’s exciting to see the potential to bring on new food manufacturers who want to use winter wheat flour. The Duck Unlimited, science backed studies show that winter wheat provides additional nesting habitat for wildlife especially waterfowl and songbirds on the Canadian Prairies.

“Any growers of Canadian western red winter wheat, we’d love to hear from them and make sure they know about the program by contacting Cereals Canada,” said Carlson.

Doug Martin who farms near Selkirk, MB, was chair of the Winter Cereals before joining the Manitoba Crop Alliance when Winter Cereal started the project with Cereals Canada and Ducks Unlimited.

“It’s about this whole sustainability and the benefits in growing winter wheat as well as ecological benefits, especially for ducks,” said Martin. “This program rewards farmers with increased winter wheat usage and a higher price.”

It is a new project identifying farmers growing winter wheat and using it in a rotation finding some benefits and knowing they’re growing it because it’s sustainable.

“It’s good for the environment, but having it on a label takes it to the next level,” said Martin.

Jake Wipf, production manager of Coyote Pancake Mix, said participating in this Ecolabel program makes sense since it represents a purpose- ful way to preserve various water birds in the wetlands and lakes around Magrath, Alberta.

“Rockport Flour Mills cares deeply about the environment and our operations’ impact on it,” said Wipf. “We are pleased to share that our audit met the Habitat-Friendly Winter Wheat certification requirements. All three Coyote Pancake and Waffle Mixes are made with flour containing at least 30 per cent habitat-friendly winter wheat.”