In today’s
marketing-gone-wild world, it’s little wonder powerful words that were once
used discretionally are now overused, diluted and common. Consider the word
awesome. Webster’s defines it as “inspiring awe,” and when considered in that
manner, the word should be reserved for things such as a spectacular mountain
landscape, the Grand Canyon at sunrise or the breeching arc of a humpback
whale.
Yet you might see an
advertisement refer to a deep-dish pizza as awesome. Does the pizza really
inspire awe? I like pizza as much as the next guy, and a good pizza might
inspire uncontrollable salivation, but I would struggle to say it’s awe
inspiring. And then there’s the phrase
“one of a kind.” You might see an advertisement for a farm for sale that says,
“This is a one of a kind.” Is it honestly unique? Granted, there might be no
other farm exactly like it, but I would guess there’s a plethora of similar
properties. To spice things up and differentiate something from like items, people
will throw in truly to the description, as in “truly, one of a kind.” Does that
assure that it must be one of kind? Revolutionary is another word that has
been diluted. It’s defined as bringing about a fundamental or major change.
That means revolutionary describes something completely new, which has not
been seen or experienced before. The word is used frequently to overdramatize a
description, as few things are actually revolutionary. The wheel, gunpowder, trains
and computers were unquestionably revolutionary because they brought about
fundamental change in the way people lived their lives. They also created
industries that did not exist before their invention. Using that logic, it’s unarguable that
Imperial Whitetail Clover was revolutionary. Unquestionably, Imperial Whitetail
Clover started the food plot industry and deer hunting has been forever changed
for the better. OK, you might say people
planted wheat, rye and oats in green fields long before Imperial Whitetail
Clover. True, but green fields and Imperial Whitetail Clover differ
significantly and fundamentally. First, Imperial Whitetail Clover was
genetically developed specifically for whitetail deer, which had never been
done with any other forage. Green-field plantings were simply agricultural
forages designed for cattle but used in deer plots. Green fields were planted
to attract deer but food plots planted with Imperial Whitetail Clover not only
attract more deer but provide high-quality nutrition as well. The groundbreaking Imperial Whitetail Clover
research led by the late Dr. Wiley Johnson centered on selecting specific
characteristics desirable for a whitetail forage. Researchers tested over 100
clover varieties for traits such as attractiveness, protein content, seedling
vigor, digestibility, seedling survivability, and tolerance to drought and
cold. The clovers exhibiting the best of those traits were cross-pollinated to
produce a hybrid offspring. That process was repeated many times over several
years, with the result being Imperial Whitetail Clover. No other forage had
those collective traits, making Imperial Whitetail Clover the first and only
deer-specific clover variety. Second,
there had never been a food plot variety designed for not only attracting deer
but to provide beneficial nutritional content as well. Green-field plantings
were designed to attract deer to fields but gave zero consideration to whether
the forage improved the nutritional plane of deer or would improve the quality
of deer. Nutrition was one of the main considerations in the early design of
Imperial Whitetail Clover, because the intention was to provide a food source
that supplied nutrients to produce larger body weights, increase doe lactation,
grow bigger antlers and essentially produce a higher-quality deer herd. So, Dr.
Johnson’s selection process led to the creation of Imperial Whitetail Clover,
not only the first food plot product but the most nutritious and attractive
food plot product available. From the day
Imperial Whitetail Clover was introduced, researchers continued to look for
genetic improvements. Through the years, that has led to the production of
newer and even better clover varieties. The Whitetail Institute research team
led by Dr. Wayne Hanna, started a project several years ago that focused on
genetically selecting for longevity and vigor while maintaining the other
desired characteristics. He collected samples from clover plots that exhibited
extreme longevity and vigorous growth from 16 states across the country from
Wisconsin to Texas. With those samples, he began a multiyear crossbreeding
program to find offspring that would consistently show those traits without
sacrificing other critical traits, such as protein content, digestibility and
attractiveness. The result was Whitetail
Institute’s newest proprietary variety, WT-177. The addition of WT-177 makes
Imperial Whitetail Clover more cold and drought tolerant. It grows more
vigorously and has a longer lifespan while maintaining exceptional
digestibility, attractiveness and nutrient content. WT-177 raises the bar
again, setting another new standard in the food plot industry.
The Cornerstone
With more than a million
acres planted in the past 30-plus years and thousands of trial and field
results, Imperial Whitetail Clover is undoubtedly the No. 1 food plot product
in the world. Testimonials from across the country report not just satisfactory
results but vast improvements in the quality of deer and hunting that far exceed
expectations. But Imperial Whitetail Clover’s impact goes beyond just being
the leading food plot forage. Imperial Whitetail Clover trailblazed the
research path that has led to the development of its many cousin products. In many cases, Imperial Whitetail Clover is
the cornerstone and foundation of other Whitetail Institute seed blends. One of
the first examples is Imperial Alfa Rack Plus. Imperial Whitetail Clover is extremely
drought tolerant, but like most clovers, it performs best in heavier soils that
hold moisture. Because food plots are not always planted in that type of soil
and sometimes planted in more well-drained soils, researchers began testing
forage blends containing other forage types suited for well-drained soils. They
found a highly attractive and nutritious X-9 Technology grazing alfalfa that
excelled in well-drained soil and, when combined with Imperial Whitetail
Clover, became Imperial Whitetail Alfa Rack Plus. The unique characteristic of the product is
its ability to adjust to varying soil moisture conditions. Food plots don’t
always contain the same type of soil in a specific field, such as a field
that’s part ridge transitioning into a bottom. Although clover and alfalfa are
typically found throughout a plot such as that, the grazing alfalfa will be
more prominent on the ridges and slopes and the clover more prominent in the
bottom or anywhere soil moisture is higher. Imperial No-Plow is another development from
the Whitetail Institute that followed the introduction of Imperial Whitetail
Clover. No-Plow is the original minimal-tillage food plot blend and is widely
used across the country. Knowing that
not all food plotters had tractors and heavy tillage equipment, and that some
areas could not be accessed with bigger machinery, Whitetail Institute
researchers developed a seed blend that would grow with minimal or no tillage.
All No-Plow needs is adequate seed-to-soil contact and some sunlight. A more
recent newcomer to the Whitetail Institute line is Imperial Whitetail Fusion,
which is a combination of Imperial Whitetail Clover and WINA-100 chicory. With
a similar concept to Alfa Rack Plus, Fusion is even more drought tolerant and
will grow in soils that might not support alfalfa. Whitetail Institute does offer food plot blends
that don’t contain Imperial Whitetail Clover, but that does not mean it did not
have major influence on those products. The design methodology that went into
the development of Imperial Whitetail Clover focused on rigorous testing in
both controlled and field settings and done so in all regions where the product
would be grown. Further, it had to be the best on the market, and if testing
proved it wasn’t, it was tossed back into the research bin until researchers
were certain there was no better product of its kind. Also, the new product
needed to meet an unsatisfied demand of food plotters. In other words, it had
to be a unique blend with unique varieties that met a previously unmet need. All those factors went into developing
Imperial Whitetail Clover and became the research method that led to products
such as Imperial Whitetail Winter-Greens. Winter-Greens is a blend of specifically selected
brassica varieties designed for fall and winter food plots. It took more than
six years of research and hundreds of varieties tested before researchers found
the exact blend of varieties that consistently outperformed other brassica
products. The development criterion that
calls for a product to be unique and meet unmet needs was the driving force
behind the development of Imperial Whitetail Extreme. Extreme contains Persist
Forb, a Whitetail Institute proprietary forb that can grow with limited
rainfall and in soils with a low pH. Persist is combined with Whitetail’s
WINA-100 forage chicory to produce a blend that is highly attractive and nutritious
yet grows in extreme conditions — hence the name Extreme. Recent product
development has produced a sibling to Extreme called Imperial Whitetail Edge.
Edge contains the same components as Extreme but also incorporates a special
variety of sainfoin, which is highly attractive to deer and grows in tough
conditions. I could reference many other
Whitetail Institute products that were spawned from the same mindset as
Imperial Whitetail Clover. Suffice to say, Imperial Whitetail Clover has left a
permanent mark on the thinking that goes into new product development at the
Whitetail Institute. If it doesn’t live up to the developmental standards set
by the originator and leader, you will never hear of it, because it will never
be introduced.
Imperial Whitetail Clover
and the Culture of Whitetail Institute
It’s impossible to
separate Imperial Whitetail Clover and the Whitetail Institute, because they
are intertwined in their culture. Imperial Whitetail Clover is the revolutionary
innovation and Whitetail Institute the revolutionary innovator. Before
Imperial Whitetail Clover, there had never been a food plot product designed
specifically for deer. Before Whitetail Institute, there had not been a food
plot industry. Whitetail Institute and Imperial Whitetail Clover were the
leaders and originators of both. Whitetail Institute continues to make Imperial
Whitetail Clover even better, never resting on the laurels of past success,
which is the way Whitetail Institute treats all of its business. There is no compromise in quality of product
or quality of service. Whether it’s the steadfast assurance in the performance
of its products or the commitment to be the industry leader in customer
service, the Whitetail Institute’s culture is second to none in commitment to
their customers. You won’t see highly paid celebrities in Whitetail Institute’s
advertisements, because like Imperial Whitetail Clover, there is no need for
superfluous marketing. The results realized in the past 30 plus years by tens
of thousands of everyday hunters speak far louder than a paid endorsement. It’s the culture of Whitetail Institute that
created Imperial Whitetail Clover, but it’s the culture around the development
of that product that continues to drive Whitetail Institute. They cannot be
separated, nor should they, for the connection goes beyond a company and product.
Simply, they are the leaders and set the industry standard, and that’s the
culture: Always be the best.
