Ducks Unlimited Pushes Winter Wheat

A very unusual sight happened this year at the local Ag expo in Dickinson. A coalition between two major entities, one is a major wildlife company and the other is a major chemical company. With this partnership they are trying to advertise the sale and seeding of winter wheat. The coalition members that represented these companies at the expo are Dr. Geoff Kneen, V.P.-Bayer CropScience and P. Blake Vander Vorst, Ducks Unlimited. They call the project, “Winter Cearals: Sustainability in Action.” The idea behind the project is to expand the farmers growing practice of winter cereals while enhancing the waterfowl production and other wildlife habitat. Since winter wheat is planted in the fall (September) makes this practice perfect for wildlife who need nesting areas to hatch and raise their young. The Bayer CropScience company will commit 20 million dollars over the next five years to conduct research and development on new crop breeds, newer agronomy practices and to measure the environmental benefits. They say they have received a lot of positive feedback on the issue, but they also say the hardest critic to crack is the farmer himself. The only way farmers will take on this project will be if they make a profit. If a profit is made and proven to work, then farmers will most likely convert and take up the new practice with outstanding results. Both members of this coalition are in agreement that they need a good farming practice that will help out the farmer, and also help out the Ducks Unlimited team to enhance wildlife and profit.
I believe this to be a great and absolute ethical way to promote the want and need for a crop to help out the farmer as well as the wildlife. This will make the reproduction process for ducks and other animals much easier with a lot less stress and greater outcomes for both ends.