BDO ZoneCONNECT Webinar:
BEAUSEJOUR-BROKENHEAD, MANITOBA
On June 5th, 2024, Ecostrat Inc. and the BDO Zone Initiative, in collaboration with TheDigest, hosted the BDO ZoneCONNECT webinar, highlighting an investment grade BDO Zone community in Canada: Beausejour-Brokenhead, Manitoba rated ‘A’ for Wheat Straw.
The webinar was moderated by Jim Lane, Editor of TheDigest, and featured key insights from Aryn Garswood, Head of the BDO Zone Initiative. Participants included Kaitlen Cunningham, Economic Development and Marketing Officer, Beausejour Brokenhead Development Corporation, and Sheila Mowat, Chief Administrative Officer, Rural Municipality of Brokenhead. The webinar underscored the regions abundant biomass resources, robust infrastructure, shovel-ready sites and attractive local incentives, positioning this BDO Zones as a prime location for biobased projects seeking a reliable supply of wheat straw.
BDO ZoneCONNECT, a joint initiative with The Daily Digest, aims to facilitate connections and stimulate development interest within BDO Zone communities. It serves as a catalyst for networking, sharing new BDO Zone ratings, and attracting a diverse global audience of stakeholders, including investors, bio-based project developers, financiers, and community leaders.
To view the webinar, please click below:
Summary of Presenter Remarks
Marian Marinescu, Project Director, Ecostrat:
- “Our rated quantity of 150,000 oven-dried tons (ODT) per year ensures a sustainable and ecologically sound utilization of wheat straw. This represents approximately 13% of the total 1.1 million ODT of wheat straw generated annually in the BDO Zone. The remainder is currently used in small quantities for cattle bedding and feed, while the majority is chopped and spread in the field to support soil stability, moisture retention, and nutrient cycling.”
- “The rated delivered price for wheat straw ranges from $125 to $145 per ODT, or about $48 to $56 per bale. These prices ensure that local producers are fairly compensated for the nutritional value of the straw removed, and include a reasonable producer profit margin.”
- “Wheat producers in the BDO Zone often work with high-efficiency custom baling companies. Outreach indicates that there’s existing capacity to scale up supply to support a new project. Beyond current uses, there are no existing or planned wheat straw projects in the competition zone, making our rated quantity a conservative, low-risk estimate of available supply.”
- “There’s a 70-acre parcel of industrial land near Beausejour, Manitoba that offers a prime location for new bio-industrial development—benefiting from highway and rail access, utilities, and a lower cost of living.”
Kaitlen Cunningham, Economic Development and Marketing Officer, Beausejour Brokenhead Development Corporation:
- “We have about 2,700 farms in the region, with grain crops being the most common accounting for roughly 40% of all farms. Wheat is the number one grain crop produced here. Hard red spring wheat dominates, grown without irrigation and under both no-till and tillage practices.”
- “Local producers have deep experience in cultivating these varieties to suit local climate and soil conditions, as well as market demands. This rating will also help support biodiversity in our agriculture sector as the Brokenhead Municipality advances its climate action plan.”
Sheila Mowat , Chief Administrative Officer, Rural Municipality of Brokenhead:
- “We have generational farmers here, and everyone knows everyone. So when a new industry comes in, there’s a strong community base that will support the project—if farmers are given the right incentives.”
- “Farmers can adapt how straw is handled at harvest to customize it for industry needs. That kind of flexibility is huge for incoming industries, it means local producers are not only supportive, but also innovative and able to adapt to the product requirements of new biobased projects.”
For more information on the Beausejour-Brokenhead, MB, BDO Zone, click here, and for their slide deck, click here.
Contact Information:
Kaitlen Cunningham, BDO Zone Local Development Leader (LDL) and Economic Development and Marketing Officer, Beausejour Brokenhead Development Corporation (bbdc@bbdcbiz.ca).
Aryn Garswood, Head of the BDO Zone Initiative (aryn@ecostrat.com).
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