John Deere and Quail Forever announced a new joint effort today to help improve wildlife habitat acres across the country and provide discounts on select models of new John Deere equipment to Quail Forever members.
“John Deere is interested in promoting wildlife habitat and finding innovative ways to help farmers, ranchers and landowners turn marginal, unproductive acres into more profitable wildlife habitat,” Travis Becton, director of sales for John Deere said. This program provides landowners, who are outdoor enthusiasts and members of Quail Forever, an opportunity to reclaim what were once unprofitable acres and to save on their purchase of new John Deere equipment.
Quail Forever is a leading organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation efforts for the United States’ native quail species. Since its creation in 2005, Quail Forever has conducted more than 13,000 habitat projects across the nation benefitting quail and other wildlife. Along with its affiliate organization Pheasants Forever, it has committed more than $784 million to improve more than 17 million acres of wildlife habitat. The Habitat Organization’s expertise in wildlife habitat improvement is one reason why John Deere joined efforts with them.
“We are thrilled to add John Deere as a partner in our conservation mission,” added Howard Vincent, Quail Forever President and CEO. “Our habitat goals happen with farmers in the driver’s seat of a John Deere planting the best acres to row crops and the environmentally sensitive acres to wildlife habitat.”
“There are many positives that can come from John Deere & Quail Forever working together. We have a large portfolio of equipment and technology that can be used to improve wildlife habitats, keep waterways clean and protect soils while reclaiming what were previously less productive acres,” Becton said.
One example he cited is the use of John Deere Precision Ag technology to help customers more quickly identify less productive areas of a field or parcel of land, so they can target them with conservation practices that will ultimately result in increased wildlife habitat and potentially increase profits. Customers can have their yield maps and data analyzed by agronomists or wildlife biologists who can provide recommendations for improvement. In fields with areas affected by poor drainage or saline soils that are unable to produce a crop for example, customers can plant the area back to grass, alfalfa or possibly enroll the acres in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).
As part of the three-year agreement, Quail Forever will recognize John Deere as the “Official Habitat Tractor”. In addition, John Deere will sponsor a Conservation Farmer of the Year Award for local chapter banquets nationwide to recognize and promote conservation practices. During the 2019 National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic, John Deere will be the presenting sponsor for a Precision Ag Workshop for farmers, precision specialists, agronomists and ag lenders. The workshop will provide information on how to maximize return-on-investment for every acre on the farm while improving wildlife habitat.
The John Deere rewards program will provide Quail Forever members with discounts on select models of new John Deere equipment including compact utility tractors, riding mowers, rotary cutters and other products offered through John Deere Rewards and purchased at authorized and participating John Deere dealers or visit
Deere.com/Pheasants for complete details.
John Deere has similar member-benefit programs with other organizations including the American Quarter Horse Association, the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
About John Deere
Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) is a world leader in providing advanced products and services and is committed to the success of customers whose work is linked to the land - those who cultivate, harvest, transform, enrich and build upon the land to meet the world's dramatically increasing need for food, fuel, shelter and infrastructure. Since 1837, John Deere has delivered innovative products of superior quality built on a tradition of integrity. For more information, visit John Deere at its worldwide website at
www.JohnDeere.com.
About Quail Forever
Quail Forever is a leading organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation efforts for the United States’ native quail species. Since its creation in 2005, Quail Forever has conducted more than 13,000 habitat projects across the nation benefitting quail and other wildlife. Along with its affiliate organization Pheasants Forever, it has committed more than $784 million to improve more than 17 million acres of wildlife habitat. Quail Forever has more than 16,000 members and 170 local chapters across the country. Both Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever are part of Pheasants Forever, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit.
Media Contact
Jared Wiklund
(651) 209-4953
jwiklund@quailforever.org
Caption: A John Deere 5075E Tractor pulling a Frontier Food Plot Planter is one of many tools being used to improve wildlife habitats.