SOURIS, Man. – Sunflowers became the foundation of an effort by Dean and Dianna Fraser to diversify their farm in the late 1980s.
They started a small sunflower seed processing plant on their farm near Souris. The plant was housed in the back of a semi trailer and was “quite archaic,” as Dianna recalls.
It may not have been fancy, but that small diversification gave the Frasers a chance to hone the skills needed to process and market sunflowers and to seize the opportunity to expand when the chance arose. When that came three years ago, they were ready.
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During what was the height of elevator consolidation in Manitoba, a local facility came up for sale that had been used by United Grain Growers to treat canola seed. That facility, with its offices, bin storage and large warehouse, offered the Frasers a chance to expand the sunflower processing enterprise. An added appeal was that it was only five kilometres from their farmhome.
The Frasers invited Alistair Wilson to join them as a business partner. Together they bought the former UGG facility in 2001 and began transforming it into a modern sunflower processing plant under the name Prairie Sun Seeds Ltd.
The new venture opened in early 2002, with the large warehouse serving as the centrepiece of the endeavour. Today, the warehouse is a network of elevating arms and conveyors linked to a central computer. From the room in the warehouse where the computer is housed, sunflower seeds can be directed into machines for cleaning, sizing and grading.
In a separate room, the seeds are bagged for shipping. Local high school students are hired to do the bagging, and paid according to how many bags they fill, rather than by the hour.
The Frasers grow their own sunflowers, but Prairie Sun Seeds also relies on production from other farmers in southwestern Manitoba and as far west as Weyburn, Sask. Part of the production is secured through grower contracts.
A world map posted in the company’s office is dotted with pins, showing the location of customers.
The smaller, black oilseed variety of sunflower is processed for customers that will buy the seeds in 25- or 50-pound bags and then further package them for the bird feed market. Most of those customers are in Canada, with export markets being developed.
The larger confectionary varieties are cleaned, bagged and sold in bulk to markets as far away as the Middle East and Japan. The buyers will package the seeds as snacks or process them into products such as baking ingredients.
Prairie Sun Seeds last year processed eight million lb. of confectionery and oilseed sunflowers. Because of dry weather during the growing season last year, test weights and yields in the area were hampered, resulting in less than average production.
The Prairie Sun plant usually runs from the time the sunflowers are harvested in fall until the end of July. Processing at the plant will end earlier than usual this summer because of the limited supply of seed from 2003.
The owners of Prairie Sun Seeds have thought about processing the sunflowers further, such as dehulling, but decided they wouldn’t take that step now.
Aside from their involvement in Prairie Sun, the Frasers have their farm to manage and Dean sells seed for Pioneer Hybrid Seeds 2000. He also has owned an aerial applicator business for several years, although he has cut back on the time spent in a spray plane.
And as parents with four children all younger than 10, they are busy enough without broadening their business.
