The Grain Farmers of Ontario is part of a group that has launched what it calls a historic moment for wheat farmers in the Great Lakes region.
The GFO along with Michigan State University, Michigan Wheat Program, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), and the University of Guelph has launched the Great Lakes YEN.
That's part of the global group of Yield Enhancement Networks first initiated nine years ago by an independent agricultural and environmental consultancy and provider of rural development and policy advice in the United Kingdom.
The Great Lakes YEN will be a collaboration of agricultural stakeholders in the Great Lakes region in the U.S. and Ontario and connect farmers, agronomists, academics, extension specialists, agriculture organizations and more, to analyze, measure, and understand yield potential and the actual yield of a given field.
Beginning with a focus on winter wheat, the Great Lakes YEN will also build greater understanding of the growing regions around the Great Lakes, identify opportunities for change and betterment from a yield perspective, and potentially more about the environmental and economic benefits of current practices.
Every farm involved in the Great Lakes YEN will share soil, tissue, and whole plant analysis for comparison and benchmarking and that will allow better insight into each field‘s performance. Farmers will learn more about how their wheat crop develops and produces yield and how they compare to their peers.
Applications for the 2021-2022 Great Lakes YEN will be accepted as of July 5 and more information is available at GreatLakesYEN.com.
