TransCanada Corporation recently awarded Ducks Unlimited $75,000 to help fund its soil health work. Most of the money will be used to partner with private landowners in a voluntary program to establish cover crops, diversify crop rotations, reduce tillage, conserve wetlands, plant grasslands and improve livestock production, according Steve Donovan, DU’s manager of conservation programs for South Dakota.

DU will use some of the money to restore 600 acres in Robert County, S.D., that it owns. The land will be open to the public. DU hopes to restore more than 14,000 acres in South Dakota this year. This partnership is about more than ducks. It is about helping landowners, enhancing agricultural lands, improving wildlife habitat and providing places for people to enjoy and recreate," says Eric Lindstrom, managing director of development for DU’s Great Plains Region.

TransCanada is an oil and natural gas pipeline and storage company.

Applicator of the Year
Jerry Born, of Farmers Union Oil of the Southern Valley (FUOSV), Fairmount, N.D. is Agco's Operator of the Year. The award recognizes the professional applicators.

"Jerry is looked at as an expert when it comes to equipment, technology, and overall application practices. His phone is ringing constantly from coworkers, other co-ops, and growers in the region asking advice on operation, application, or troubleshooting machines. ... Jerry also makes sure that everyone operating the machines knows how to operate them safely and is not scared to stop or slow down a job until the situation is safe for himself, coworkers, and our customers," wrote Brad VanOverbeke, the co-op manger who nominated Born for the award. The grand prize included a Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Sources: Ducks Unlimited, Agco