Redekop wins environmental sustainability award at Ag in Motion

The Redekop Manufacturing team stood proudly at its tent at Ag in Motion, telling people in the community about its new, award-winning product.

At Monday night’s Ag in Motion award ceremony, the Redekop team won the show’s environmental sustainability award for the company’s new seed control unit.

Redekop’s award-winning seed control unit. (Halyna Mihalik/ 650 CKOM)

“It’s always going to be a passion for us,” said Kevin Gillespie, Redekop’s sales representative for North and South Dakota.

“If we can help provide innovative solutions to help growers meet that need of being sustainable and good stewards of their land, we’re very excited to be a part of that.”

Gillespie said he was honoured that his team won the award, and is excited to be able to showcase the product at Ag in Motion, Western Canada’s biggest outdoor farm show, hosted in Langham.

People from all over the world came to be a part of the event. Redekop’s teams from Australia, the United States and from all over Canada came to Saskatchewan for the show, marking the first time all three teams have ever been together in person.

The award-winning seed control unit destroys weeds so crops are ready to be planted. This process typically happens in the spring or early fall, and is usually done using a chemical burn down. Redekop’s seed control unit limits the use of chemicals to remove weeds.

“This mill helps eliminate some of those chemical applications that we see, helping improve sustainable farming practices through a refracting mill,” said Gillespie.

He explained that the product has been very popular in Australia, with many in the agriculture community there being able to limit their chemical usage. Gillespie said he hopes that the unit sees the same level of success in North America.

“It’s a pretty common item in Australia, but this is a new market in its infancy when we’re looking at harvest weed seed control that I think is going to be a very impactful tool for growers in the North American market,” said Gillespie.

He said the tool will eliminate up to 99 per cent of germinating weeds, depending on the types. Based on that statistic, Gillespie said the tool will be as successful in removing weeds as the chemical burn down process.

Gillespie said he hopes the farming community will take advantage of new tools such as this one to help protect the environment.

“I have not met anyone involved in agriculture that is not passionate about being a good steward of the land and the resources that they are using to make their living,” said Gillespie.

Ag in Motion wraps up Thursday.