74 GERMINATION.CA JANUARY 2019 Who said what? NEW EASTERN WHEAT CLASS OFFERS “MORE FLEXIBILITY FOR PRODUCERS, INDUSTRY” The Canadian Grain Commission is updating its Eastern wheat class structure in what it says is an effort to meet the evolving needs of the Canadian grain industry and increase flexibility for producers, breeders, processors and handlers. Effective July 1, 2019, the Canada Eastern Other Wheat (CEOW) class will be created to provide a class for varieties with unique characteristics and allow producers to take advantage of special contracted varieties. At the same time, the following wheat classes will be removed to reduce the cost of grain segregation in the commercial handling system: • Canada Eastern Red (CER) • Canada Eastern Hard White Winter (CEHWW) • Canada Eastern Soft White Spring (CESWS) • Canada Eastern Hard White Spring (CEHWS) Producers will still be able to grow the varieties assigned to these classes and deliver them under contract to the Canada Eastern Other Wheat (CEOW) class, the commission says. These changes to the Eastern wheat class structure were recom- mended by the Eastern Standards Committee, which represents stakeholders from across the grain value chain, to help facilitate the introduction of unique opportunities for producers and the grain industry. KEVIN FALK WINS ASTA VIDEO CONTEST Manitoba’s Kevin Falk, a student at Iowa State University, is the grand prize winner of the American Seed Trade Association’s second annual Better Seed, Better Life student video contest, held in conjunction with the National Association of Plant Breeders (NAPB) and the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of American and Soil Science Society of America (Tri-Societies). Kevin was honored during ASTA’s CSS 2018 & Seed Expo in Chicago in December. The 2018 contest theme was “Rumor Has It.” University students — including both graduate and undergraduate — were asked to create videos to help set the record straight on a common misconception or myth associated with the seed industry and/or plant science. Falk is currently a PhD candidate at Iowa State University focusing on soybean breeding. He holds a master’s in plant breeding from the University of Manitoba and worked in canola breeding programs at Monsanto and Bayer for five years prior to returning to pursue his PhD at Iowa State. FalkwasfeaturedonthecoveroftheNovember2018printeditionofGermination.“Ilovescienceandtechnology,farmingandworking with people. Plant breeding was and is a perfect fit for me,” he says. To view his winning video visit https://germination.ca/manitobas-kevin-falk-wins-asta-video-contest/. SECRET LIFE OF SOIL INITIATIVE LOOKING FOR INDUSTRY PARTNERS Partners within the agriculture and food industry have identified public outreach as one of the highest priori- ties to establish public trust of food production practices throughout the supply chain. The Canada Agriculture and Food Museum (CAFM) is creating a new opportunity for industry participation through a new initiative called The Secret Life of Soil that is being endorsed by the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association. CSGA “wholeheartedly endorses public outreach efforts and has partnered with CAFM to assist with the initiative, recognizing that healthy soil is integral to successful seed production,” says CSGA president Jonathan Nyborg. The museum’s goal is to assemble a national advisory council, network of partners, and funding to deliver a five-year ini- tiative that will include the long-term exhibition, an inter- active travelling display and a broad variety of onsite and national programming. In 2019, the museum will be moving to a five-year focus on food security. The soil initiative will be the first phase of programming, to engage millions of visitors and spark conversations on this critical topic, the museum says. For info on how to get involved, contact Nori Gowan, CAFM business development, at 613-219-7409 or ngowan@inge- niumcanada.org.