Premium Program
The Colorado Wheat Research Foundation is excited to continue its partnership with ConAgra Mills in the CWRF ConAgra Ultragrain® Premium Program for hard white wheat. Colorado wheat growers will continue to have the opportunity to participate in this exciting program. ConAgra Mills is investing in this sustainable, ongoing, value-added hard white wheat program with the support of the breeding program at Colorado State University. The result is high-yielding, top quality varieties, the first step in creating high-value flour.
Questions and Answers Regarding the CWRF ConAgra Ultragrain Premium Program
Q: What is the CWRF ConAgra Ultragrain Premium Program?
Q: What hard white winter wheat varieties are eligible for the CWRF ConAgra Ultragrain Premium Program?
Q: How have Snowmass and Thunder CL performed in Colorado dryland and irrigated variety performance trials?
Q: What are the requirements of the program?
Q: In general, what are the contract terms?
Q: What will be the cost of the certified seed?
Q: Where can I buy the certified seed?
Q: Can I save seed and replant it?
Q: What are the delivery points?
Q: What is the CWRF ConAgra Ultragrain Premium Program?
A: The Colorado Wheat Research Foundation (CWRF) is partnering with ConAgra Mills to create the ConAgra Mills Ultragrain Premium Program for hard white wheat.
The Premium Program allows participating farmers to grow CWRF hard white wheat varieties Snowmass and Thunder CL under contract to ConAgra Mills and to receive a base premium of 30 cents per bushel, plus an additional premium of up to 60 cents more for protein content, for a total of 90 cents per bushel for the 2012 crop.
2012 Crop Protein Scale:
What hard white winter wheat varieties are eligible for the CWRF ConAgra Ultragrain Premium Program?
A: Thunder CL and Snowmass are the two varieties that are grown under the CWRF ConAgra Ultragrain Premium Program.
Snowmass is the newest addition to the CWRF ConAgra Ultragrain® Premium Program and was first available for planting in fall 2010. This hard white wheat variety combines high dryland yields, good test weight, good sprouting tolerance and excellent milling and baking qualities. Snowmass has excellent resistance to stripe and stem rust and is one of the few varieties with built-in resistance to wheat streak mosaic virus, which is becoming an increasing yield threat. Colorado growers will really appreciate the strong agronomic traits of this wheat variety paired with the excellent premium opportunities. Snowmass had a top 3-year trial average for 2008, 2009 and 2010 in the CSU Uniform Variety Dryland Performance Trials.
Thunder CL was the first hard white wheat variety accepted into the CWRF ConAgra Ultragrain® Premium Program and will be eligible for planting again in fall 2011. This wheat variety has growers excited with its strong field performance and high trial yield results, particularly under irrigated conditions. Thunder CL has excellent stripe and stem rust resistance, good stress tolerance, very good straw strength and excellent milling and baking qualities. It also carries the Clearfield® herbicide-tolerance trait for control of winter annual grassy weeds.
Q: How have Snowmass and Thunder CL performed in Colorado dryland and irrigated variety performance trials?
For 2011 Variety Performance Trial data as it comes in, visit: http://coloradowheat.org/colorado-wheat-research-foundation/variety-trials/
| 2011 Colorado Field Trial Results | |||||
| Dryland Variety Performance Trials | |||||
| Variety | 3-year avg. | 2-year avg. | 2011 avg. | 3-year avg. | |
| bu/acre | bu/acre | bu/acre | test wt. | ||
| Settler CL | 56.8 | 56.8 | 50.3 | 59.8 | |
| Snowmass | 56.3 | 55.4 | 50.2 | 60.3 | |
| Ripper | 56.3 | 55.7 | 50.6 | 59.1 | |
| Hatcher | 56.3 | 56.4 | 52.8 | 60.1 | |
| Bill Brown | 56.0 | 55.9 | 51.0 | 60.3 | |
| Winterhawk | 55.6 | 55.6 | 48.4 | 60.9 | |
| Tam 112 | 55.6 | 54.6 | 50.3 | 60.9 | |
| Above | 55.5 | 54.4 | 49.7 | 59.5 | |
| Bond CL | 55.3 | 53.6 | 46.5 | 58.5 | |
| Prairie Red | 54.1 | 52.7 | 48.8 | 58.9 | |
| Thunder CL | 53.6 | 53.5 | 46.8 | 59.3 | |
| Jagger | 50.7 | 50.3 | 45.2 | 59.6 | |
| Irrigated Variety Performance Trials | |||||
| 3-year avg. | 2-year avg. | 2010 avg. | 3-year avg. | ||
| Variety | bu/acre | bu/acre | bu/acre | test wt. | |
| Settler CL | 97.6 | 99.1 | 109.0 | 60.6 | |
| Armour | 94.3 | 97.5 | 108.2 | 59.9 | |
| Ripper | 93.9 | 96.9 | 110.3 | 58.8 | |
| Bond CL | 92.9 | 96.0 | 105.5 | 59.8 | |
| Hitch | 90.4 | 92.8 | 103.1 | 59.3 | |
| Aspen | 90.3 | 89.4 | 89.9 | 58.9 | |
| Thunder CL | 89.1 | 89.7 | 94.3 | 59.9 | |
| Hatcher | 87.0 | 92.4 | 104.7 | 59.6 | |
Q: What are the requirements of the program?
A: Wheat producers who wish to participate in the Ultragrain program will need to sign a “Clearfield Wheat Stewardship Grower Agreement” with BASF; a “Grain Pricing Schedule” with ConAgra Grain Processing Company” detailing the contract terms; and a Wheat Seed Agreement with CWRF that requires planting of certified seed and the delivery of all production to ConAgra.
Q: In general, what are the contract terms?
A. The Grain Pricing Schedule with ConAgra Grain Processing Company includes pricing (grower premium of $0.30 per bushel), price base (#1 HRW ordinary bid price basis the delivery point), contracting period (August 1 – November 30, 2011 – all grain must be delivered to designated delivery point when called by delivery point or by May 31, 2012 and all grain must be sold to delivery point no later than May 31, 2012), protein scale (2¢ per bu. for each .2% (1/5) greater than 12.0% to 15.0% maximum with an additional nickel per bu. at 13% protein (15¢) and another nickel per bu. at 13.5% protein (24¢) to a maximum of 40¢ per bu. at 15% protein), delivery points, quality discounts (test weight, moisture, total defects, dockage, shrunken and broken, foreign material, IDK and damage), contrasting classes over 2.0% subject to forfeiture of all premiums and wheat must be identity preserved.
Q: What will be the cost of the certified seed?
A: The price of certified seed of Snowmass and Thunder CL should be similar to the price for other CWRF Clearfield varieties Above and Bond CL.
Q: Where can I buy the certified seed?
A: Snowmass seedgrowers:
Anderson Wheat Farms, Haxtun, CO 970-774-4143
Cooksey Farms, Roggen, CO 303-849-5214
Dry Creek Seed Co., Genoa, CO 719-763-2367
Jim Dolezal, Julesburg, CO 308-189-5445
Kochis Farms, Matheson, CO 719-775-2596
Curtis Lewton, Bennett, CO 303-644-4327
Mertens Brothers, Inc, New Raymer, CO 970-437-5358
Pachner Ag Enterprises, Akron, CO 970-345-6457
Progressive Farms, Byers, CO 720-244-6775
Gary Rafert, Amherst, CO 970-854-2607
Sand Creek, Inc., Sheridan Lake, CO 719-729-3367
Splitter Farms, Sheridan Lake, CO 719-729-3567
Thunderbird L & L, Towner, CO 800-289-1415
Wickstrom, Inc., Orchard, CO 970-656-3656
Randy Wilks, Burlington, CO 719-346-7314
Thunder CL seedgrowers:
Cooksey Farms, Roggen, CO 303-849-5214
Frank Fry, Grand Junction, CO 970-858-7181
Ryan Weaver, Burlington, CO 719-346-7779
Q: Can I save seed and replant it?
A: No. Thunder CL carries the novel herbicide tolerance trait owned by BASF and growers must also sign a “Clearfield Wheat Stewardship Grower Agreement” with BASF that specifies that the grower is not to save seed for replanting or to supply to anyone for replanting. Also, ConAgra has a requirement that certified seed must be used to produce wheat under contract with them to receive the grower and protein premium in their “Grain Pricing Schedule.” The purpose of the “certified seed” requirement by ConAgra is to preserve the purity and integrity of the variety and its milling and baking qualities. The Wheat Seed Agreement with CWRF requires planting of certified seed of Snowmass and Thunder CL for the production of grain to sell under the Grain Pricing Schedule established by ConAgra.
Q: What are the delivery points?
ConAgra in collaboration with CWRF has established country elevator delivery points. The following delivery points have been established:
Commerce City/Denver – Commerce City Grain
Bennett – Roggen Farmers Elevator Association
Anton – Anton Coop
Haxtun – Grainland Coop
Genoa – Flagler Coop
Vona – Tempel Grain
Stratton – Stratton Coop
Lamar – Tempel Grain
Springfield – Elkhart Coop
Peetz – Peetz Coop
Pierce – Roggen Coop
Nunn – Roggen Coop
Colby, KS – Cornerstone Ag
Ultragrain is a 100 percent whole wheat flour that combines the nutritional benefits of whole grains with the finished recipe qualities of refined flour. The milling and baking qualities of Snowmass and Thunder CL set this program apart and give Colorado wheat growers a new opportunity to boost their incomes.
