Big wins for wheat

LANSING, MI. AND GUELPH, ON. — The Michigan Wheat Program, Michigan State University, Grain Farmers of Ontario, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the University of Guelph are proud to announce the winners of the 2022 Great Lakes yield enhancement network (YEN) competition.The winners of the Great Lakes YEN competition for the highest percentage yield include:• Jeffery Krohn, from Elkton, Michigan with the highest percentage of potential yield at 87.97%• Andy Timmermans from Stratford, Ontario with 79.07% of potential yield• Aaron Stuckey from Archbold, Ohio with 79.03% of potential yieldThe winners of the highest yield competition are:• Jeffry Krohn, from Elkton, Michigan with 165.92 bushels per acre• Andy Timmermans, from Stratford, Ontario with 150.19 bushels per acre• Kelsey Hill from Arnprior, Ontario with 144.13 bushels per acreThe Great Lakes YEN project has helped farmers learn from each other about new ways to improve their yields. Participants from this year's Great Lakes YEN project will have the opportunity to network and discuss with their peers the practices that have worked on their farms at the wrap up meetings in January."Understanding and learning about the potential for winter wheat is incredibly valuable to farmers. The Great Lakes YEN has played a pivotal role in providing us insightful data on yield and beyond. Grain Farmers of Ontario is pleased with the outcomes of the Great Lakes YEN’s inaugural year," says Paul Hoekstra, vice president strategic development at Grain Farmers of Ontario. "We congratulate the winners and cannot wait to see what follows in the next years of the Great Lakes YEN."While some farmers faced planting challenges with a very wet fall in 2021, followed by unseasonably cool temperatures in the spring and extended dry periods with very little rainfall throughout the summer, wheat growth and development progressed close to normal to even excellent, leading to some record yields. Great Lakes YEN participants produced an average yield of 116 bushels per acre.“The weather challenges faced by growers proves once again how resilient they are,” said the Executive Director of the Michigan Wheat Program Jody Pollok-Newsom. “The YEN is an outstanding program because as the data continues to be collected, we will have better and better information about strategies to deal with the ever-changing weather conditions of our region. Our YEN growers are poised and ready to meet challenges armed with the data from their own farm as to what works best in their conditions.”Congratulations to all the winner, and thank you to all our participants, partners and sponsors for such a successful year of the Great Lakes YEN.Farmers interested in participating in the 2023 Great Lakes YEN are encouraged to visit https://greatlakesyen.com/how-to-participate for more information and to register to receive program updates and to watch for the hashtag #GreatLakesYEN on Twitter. Registration for the program will close on January 27, 2023.Companies interested in joining the Great Lakes YEN as a sponsor can contact Jody Pollok-Newsom with the Michigan Wheat Program at jody@miwheat.org or Joanne Tichborne with the Grain Farmers of Ontario at Jticheborne@gfo.ca.Established in 2021, the Great Lakes YEN was created in partnership with Michigan Wheat Program, Michigan State University, Grain Farmers of Ontario, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the University of Guelph to improve crop returns through greater understanding of crop performance and increased collaboration between industry and farmers. For more information, visit www.greatlakesyen.com.