The workshop was part of the Agri-Environmental Group Plan (AEGP)that SaskFlax is working on in cooperation with Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada and the Government of Saskatchewan. Flax producers in Saskatchewan are working together to both improve air quality and create economic opportunities for farmers by reducing the practice of burning flax straw.

"It was fantastic to see this kind of collaboration at work," said Linda Braun, SaskFlax Executive Director. "Here we had producers, industry, research, and government people coming up with ways to move our industry forward."

The workshop presented materials from two related streams: how farmers can avoid burning flax straw by chopping and incorporating straw "residue" back into the soil; and secondly, how producers can capture value by baling the straw and selling it for fiber uses.

On the residue management stream, Ken Panchuk, the Provincial Soils Specialist with Saskatchewan's Ministry of Agriculture, gave some tips on equipment that can handle chopping strong flax straw, as well as how stubble can be used to improve field moisture levels.

Although fiber extraction and processing in Canada is still in development, many presenters discussed the potential for using oilseed flax fiber in things like erosion control mats, specialty paper, deck boards, even high-end linens for clothing. Producer presenters explained the different methods they are using to harvest flax straw to preserve the long fibers within. Researchers outlined the work that is being done to study more efficient ways of retting flax straw in the field, which is the process of partial decomposition that makes fiber extraction easier. Companies talked about the growing opportunites for flax in the marketplace.

"It's gratifying to see this support from industry for our flax," Braun said, referring to presentations by Geof Kime of Stemergy Inc. and Jacco Vlaar of Forbo Linoleum. "These companies are telling us we have a useful product here."

Everyone at the workshop participated in a group exercise to develop "Beneficial Management Practices" or "BMPs" which will be communicated to all flax farmers in the province. Braun encourages producers to watch for the BMP document in their mailboxes in late March. "These practices will help farmers get the most from their flax straw, whether they are chopping it to spread back on their fields or selling it for the growing number of fiber uses," she said.