Event date: Weds., February 23 in Bath Township
Lansing, Mich. (February 22, 2023) – The Michigan Wheat Program’s Annual Winter Grower Meeting will have a variety of story opportunities for reporters at its one-day session this Wednesday, February 23, at the Eagle Eye Golf Course, 15500 Chandler Rd., Bath Township. The meeting is set for 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Topics to be presented include:
- Welcome by David Milligan, past chairman of the Michigan Wheat Program and President of the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) board of directors.
- A high-management wheat talk by keynote presenter Dave Hooker, from the University of Guelph. Hooker is a farmer in Canada, and a co-developer of the Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Program which is joint program between the US and Canada to further the interests of wheat farmers.
- Another international-themed presentation is a “top five” discussion led by two Michigan wheat farmers and MSU’s wheat specialist, Dennis Pennington, all of whom attended an agricultural tour of Germany last year. Co-presenters Mike Milligan of Cass City and Jeff Krohn of Elkton, met with German farmers, agribusiness representatives and university officials to learn how the Germans can produce 175 bushels of wheat per acre.
- Travelling from Washington, DC, presenter Kyle Varner of the US Senate Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry Committee, will talk about expectations for the 2018 Farm Bill.
- Dennis Pennington will conduct his annual survey of wheat grower needs and highlight expectations for the 2018 wheat crop.
- Pennington and MSU wheat educator Martin Nagelkirk will talk about new resources and information available to growers this year.
- A presentation by Michigan Wheat Program executive director Jody Pollok-Newsom will describe the program’s focus for 2022.
In addition, the Annual Winter Grower Meeting will have a small trade show with nearly 20 vendors expected. And awards will be presented to outstanding growers who achieved outstanding yields the last 2 years.
Media interested in attending all or part of the Winter Grower Meeting should contact Jody Pollok-Newsom, MWP executive director, at (517) 490-0280.
The Michigan Wheat Program is funded by nearly 8,000 farmers who grow wheat in 50 of Michigan’s 83 counties. The Michigan Wheat Program board seeks to promote the state’s wheat industry by funding and supporting the strategic priorities of wheat farmers working with input suppliers, seed producers, millers, end users and consumers. Research on wheat production practices and grower education has been an early priority for the organization.