The Scoular Co. announced that its Canadian affiliate has expanded its bird food manufacturing facility in Winkler, Man., reinforcing its commitment to the community as well as sunflower growers throughout Manitoba.

“This community has provided Scoular an opportunity to engage our strong business relationships and invest in our future growth,” Scoular general manager Robert Deraas said.

Scoular recently relocated its Winnipeg, Man., bird food operations to the company-owned bird food manufacturing facility in Winkler. The expansion has created six additional jobs at the Winkler facility as well as an expanded need for local municipal services.

Manitoba farmers provide Scoular Canada with both confection sunflowers for human-edible snack foods and black oil sunflowers for use in bird feed. About 90% of all sunflowers grown in Canada are grown in Manitoba, according to the National Sunflower Association of Canada.

“At Scoular, we think of ourselves as the ‘sunflower people’ for the growers of Manitoba,” said Ben Friesen, Scoular product group manager for sunflowers. “We are committed to providing these growers with a competitive market for their sunflowers.”

Bird food demand continues to be strong. Birding is only second to gardening as the most popular outdoor activity in North America, according to the Wild Bird Feeding Institute’s Research Foundation.