By Alice McFarlane

Preserving wildlife one pancake at a time

Mar 6, 2023 | 4:52 PM

MELFORT, Sask. – A Western Canadian food brand is partnering with the Habitat-Friendly Winter Wheat Ecolabel.

Coyote Pancake Mix was introduced in 1923 by Rockport Flour Mills in Magrath, Alta. Nearly 100 years later Coyote Pancake Mix is making history again by joining a national Ecolabel program that provides critical habitat for ducks, birds, and other wildlife.

The Habitat-Friendly Winter Wheat Ecolabel Program is an initiative that helps consumers identify environmentally friendly products that support the nesting habitats of Canadian wildlife on the Prairies.

Research conducted by Ducks Unlimited Canada has proven that ducks nesting in winter wheat are 24 times more successful than those nesting in spring-planted cereal crops.

All three varieties of Coyote Pancake and Waffle Mix are made with whole-wheat flour milled from spring wheat and winter wheat grown by Rockport and area farmers and are available nationally at traditional and online retailers.

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Coyote Pancake Mix Production Manager Jake Wipf said participating in the program makes sense since it represents a purposeful way to preserve a variety of water birds in the wetlands and lakes around Magrath.

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

Alberta winter wheat farmer Gary Stanford has grown winter wheat for over a decade because of the many benefits it brings to his farm. He is especially fond of the high yield potential and less disturbance to wildlife, especially waterfowl.

“I am pleased to see more local businesses support growers,” Stanford said. “Winter wheat is an important crop for my operation as it benefits the sustainability of my farm both environmentally and fiscally.”

The partnership includes Cereals Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Prairie winter wheat grower groups, and end-users including millers and food processors.

The initiative helps brands stand out in a competitive marketplace, satisfies consumer demand for sustainability on store shelves, and supports Canadian farmers while providing critical habitats for ducks, birds, and other wildlife.

Winter wheat’s habitat conservation combined with the benefits it offers farmers are what interests Ducks Unlimited Canada the most.

Cereals Canada said food processors can become certified to showcase their use of western Canadian winter wheat.

Cereals Canada Director of Market Intelligence and Trade Policy Leif Carlson said they are also encouraging other Canadian brands to adopt a blend of habitat-friendly winter wheat in their products to embrace sustainability, preserve waterfowl habitat and support Canadian farmers.

“It’s exciting to see Coyote Pancake Mix and the Ecolabel on Canadian store shelves,” Carlson said. “The Habitat-Friendly Winter Wheat program communicates agriculture’s positive contributions to the environment and gives families a choice that they can feel good about.”

Other Ecolabel partners include Les Moulins de Soulanges, a mill producing specialty flours serving artisanal bakers across North America, and Beam Suntory, a global leader in premium spirits. Beam Suntory is participating through its Northern Keep vodka brand, which is distilled in Calgary, Alta.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW