With funding assistance from the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council (MRAC), Penner and a team of scientists at NeoVentures Biotechnology Inc. are developing a wheat variety identification technology that can replace KVD for the Canadian Western Red Spring (CWRS) class of wheat.

“The NeoVentures vision is to develop a technology that will enable the removal of KVD to represent a positive step forward in terms of value, while laying the basis for Canadian wheat producers to compete in the future,” says Penner. “The first step towards this future is the development of a cost-effective tool capable of determining varietal composition of grain samples on-farm or on the driveway at grain delivery.”

Penner and his partner Ximena Vedoya co-founded NeoVentures, a privately held biotechnology company based in London, Ont., in 2002. NeoVentures is a global leader in the development of aptamers, which are short-single-stranded fragments of DNA, for application to agricultural opportunities.

Building on previous research, this project involves the identification of a combination of aptamers that when labelled with appropriate fluorescent markers will enable rapid determination of the varietal composition of a wheat sample, including the determination of the proportion of ineligible varieties in a market class, Penner said.

The technology must be able to rapidly and robustly determine the varietal composition of any sample of wheat, even if such a sample is composed of several varieties, says Penner. Value must be identified at the point of grain delivery or before for the grain-handling system to be able to maintain value by not blending it with less valuable deliveries, he added.

There is little demand on the part of end-users for value-added milling and baking characteristics, there is however significant and continuing demand for consistency, says Penner, adding, purchasers want wheat that will perform in an expected manner throughout the entire processing chain from grain milling to the slicing of a loaf of bread.

“Grain companies can only provide a premium for grain if their possession of it provides them with a market advantage over other grain companies,” he says. “The KVD system was based on competitive positioning of Canadian wheat in the world market. A rapid variety identification system has the potential to create competition for value within the Canadian market and thus the potential for competition between grain companies in their efforts to purchase grain.”

Up until now, most work directed towards genetic identification of grain has been based on DNA analysis, says Penner, noting DNA analysis is a very powerful technology providing a high degree of resolving power and accuracy.

To determine the composition of a sample of grain with DNA analysis however requires a number of kernels and the extraction of DNA from each of them, says Penner. So NeoVentures has been focused on the development of a technology that could determine the composition of a bulk sample of grain, without a need to analyze individual kernels.

In the summer of 2008, NeoVentures became increasingly concerned over a potential flaw in the platform they were developing and repositioned their approach to the research.

“We could have achieved milestones but we wouldn’t have had a commercial product. So we hit the reset button,” says Penner, noting the goal is to have a commercial product released to grain elevators in 2010.

Penner says the route taken by NeoVentures to develop this technology is undeniably risky. To his knowledge no other group in the world is developing a similar approach.

“Given success, we will have a made-in-Canada solution, where the technology alone has the potential to increase the value of Canadian wheat,” he says.

For more information on NeoVentures Biotechnology Inc. visit www.neoventures.ca.

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Solanyl Biopolymers Inc., based in Carberry, Man., manufactures starch-based biodegradable polymers that are used to create new and innovative environmentally friendly products.

The company was established in 2005 by potato farmers Derek and Earl McLaren, who wanted to further process the industrial byproduct of Manitoba food processors. In Europe, a technology of bioplastics for this purpose was already in the commercial stage. As a result, an international partnership was formed with Rodenburg Biopolymers B. V. from the Netherlands with the goal to bring biodegradable plastics to North America.

Solanyl Biopolymers applied to the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council (MRAC) in 2007 for funding to further their vision.

“The MRAC funding has been instrumental in our project,” said Derek McLaren, managing director of Solanyl Biopolymers.

Solanyl biodegradable plastic resins are a renewable substitute for petroleum-based plastics, especially for short life or disposable plastic products.

“We’re not here to replace plastic, we just want to offer an alternative,” said Ferdi van Dongen, president and CEO of Solanyl Biopolymers Inc. “We’ll supply the niche plastic market.”

These plastics are made from reclaimed potato starch using a patented process which converts the potato starch into a plastic-like resin that can be heated and shaped into a variety of products through the injection moulding process. Solanyl receives this potato starch, which is considered an industrial byproduct, from the local McCain and Simplot plants.

Solanyl bioplastics can also be composted returning carbon back to the soil to be used again as an energy source for plants. This makes Solanyl a carbon-neutral and sustainable resource to be used in numerous applications.

With financial assistance from MRAC, Solanyl Biopolymers is creating a new generation of smart materials. And van Dongen sees a bright future for these materials.

“People are much more motivated now to be environmentally friendly,” he said.

For more information please visit www.solanylbiopolymers.com.

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An eagle soars past Irv and Lil Krahn’s window while a deer grazes near their front door.

The Krahns want to share this picturesque scene with others. They recently moved into an approximately 5,500-square-foot house along Badger Creek just north of Cartwright and are hoping to open their home to guests for a variety of retreats such as scrapbooking, birdwatching, writing and photography. Lil notes they would also welcome small family gatherings, mother-daughter retreats and corporate retreats.

“We feel very blessed to be able to have this,” says Lil. “And it would give us great satisfaction to share this space with others.”

The Krahns bought the property, which is located beside the historic Bison Jump, from Roger Penner in late 2007 and did some work in the house prior to moving in the following May. Penner built the house, which consists of three walkout floors and a large double garage, in 2000.

The house can sleep approximately 10 adults comfortably as there are four bedrooms on the middle floor and a loft area above the garage. The basement isn’t finished and the Krahns hope to build a small kitchen and bathroom in this space in the near future. This large space can also be used for workshops. Lil says that meals will be available on-site for guests if they choose.

Penner also landscaped the yard surrounding the house and along the creek. Guests can enjoy the scenic outdoors with a variety of activities such as cross-country skiing and tobogganing in the winter, and fishing and hiking in the summer.

The Krahns recently retired from farming south of the neighbouring community of Mather.

“We need to find something else to do with our time,” says Lil. “I feel like I haven’t quite found my niche in my life just yet. So we’re going to try one more thing.”

They had been mulling over their options for a few years before deciding to purchase the property.

“We were driving in this area in the Christmastime of 2006 and we decided to take a look at this place. So that was the first little seed that was planted,” says Lil. “We never dreamed that we would end up living near Cartwright. But that’s the beauty of life. It finds you in places you didn’t think you’d ever be.”

And the Krahns have found themselves in a beautiful place.

“Each season has its beauty. The other day I was sitting here and an eagle flew right by the window at eye level. It was amazing,” says Lil. “I think everyone can appreciate nature for different reasons.”

Lil believes the property has something to offer and she encourages people to come experience the serenity and beauty of the nature and wildlife surrounding their home.

“It’s a place to come for rest and relaxation,” she says, adding, “The peace and quiet just makes the heart feel good.”

For more information or to book a retreat, please contact the Krahns by phone at 204529-2380 or by e-mail at irv@mts.net.

– Teresa Falk writes from Winnipeg

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