Winnipeg, Manitoba
September 8, 2003

Every year millions of tonnes of Identity Preserved (IP) and specialty crops are produced and distributed around the world. Saskatchewan growers Kel and Marg Ellard had a chance to follow
their identity preserved Linola crop from their backyard in Canada's prairies to Germany's manufacturing centre. Grown under production contracts, an IP variety is segregated from seed to
end-use to maintain strict quality control. 

The Ellards started growing Linola in 1995 as a cash crop after consulting with their Agricore United Representative Bob Beaton. It was certainly a learning experience. Linola is a yellow seeded solin similar to flax, with a high quality polyunsaturated oil for the edible oil market. 

"The first time we grew it - it wasn't quite as good as it is now," says Ellard, a farmer in Saskatchewan since 1972. "Like anything, we had to learn how to grow it as we went along." 

Consulting with Beaton, the Ellards learned that Linola should be sown as early as possible and as shallow as possible on a firm, moist seed bed. The ideal plant population for Linola is 30 plants per foot, or 35 to 40 pounds per acre. Beaton also worked with the Ellards on effective fertilization and crop protection. Very quickly, they became very good at growing Linola. And little did they ever expect this cash crop to one day win them the chance of a lifetime - to follow their Linola crop across Canada, across the Atlantic Ocean, all the way to Germany. 

The Ellards were among the winners of Agricore United's "Follow Your Crop" contest. Agricore United customers who grew identity preserved crops such as malt barley, Linola, specialty oil canola and IP wheat in 2002 were eligible to enter a contest to win a trip to follow their crop to its end-use market. 

The Ellards landed in Berlin on Saturday, June 7. The following morning, they met Ulrich Britze and his wife Simine for a personal tour of Berlin. Britze is Agricore United's agent in Hamburg, Germany. They took the Ellards to many of Berlin's historical spots including: Checkpoint Charlie; the Berlin Wall; the church in Wittenburg (where Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 theses in 1517 and so started the reformation and the Lutheran church); and the famous bridge where the Russians and the Americans met to exchange spies. It was an unbelievable walk through the history of Berlin and the surrounding area and indeed, a history that had a lasting effect on the whole world.

After the historical tour, the Ellards met up with Bevyn Litke, an Agricore United oilseeds merchant. Following their crop across the Atlantic, the Ellards next stop was a margarine factory at Pratau where their Linola ends up after it is sold to Agricore United. The factory, owned by Unilever, is used exclusively for the production of margarine. 

"Linola oil is specifically used for Unilever's Becel brand margarine, one of their heart healthy products," says Litke. "It's chosen for its unique and desirable fatty acid profile."

The margarine is sold throughout Western Europe under the Becel brand name. The formulation process is strictly confidential to Unilever and understandably can't be shared!

The Linola is shipped over to Germany as seed in an ocean going vessel. Agricore United arranges for the crush of the seed in Germany and then sells the oil to Unilever, and the meal to various feed compounders. Agricore United will handle about 65,000 metric tonnes of Linola this year, yielding about 27,000 metric tonnes of oil. 

For the Ellards, watching the large hose snaking from the Linola oil truck into the side of one of the buildings of the margarine factory brought the journey of their crop to its final destination.

"I was in awe to think that the grain that we grow just outside our door travels 6000 kilometres, crosses a number of international borders and ends up there," says Marg Ellard. "The age of travel and technology!"

After taking the opportunity to experience other parts of Europe, the Ellards returned home this summer, ready to harvest another Linola crop destined to travel thousands of miles to the end
user.