Registration is now open for Michigan and US wheat growers to join the Great Lakes YEN. Five years ago, the Michigan Wheat Program first partnered to launch the ground-breaking Great Lakes YEN – a first in North America.
This innovative programming is brought to growers through the collaboration of the Michigan Wheat Program, Michigan State University, Grain Farmers of Ontario, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, and the University of Guelph.
Great Lakes YEN, an extension of the original United Kingdom (UK) YEN (est. 2012), provides a different way of looking at wheat production. Participants take a deep dive into their own farm’s wheat yield potential utilizing data analysis, comparisons, measurements, tissue, soil and grain sample results – and then benchmarking it with those from other Michigan, US and Ontario participants. The program also recognizes its top production winners for both yield and yield potential in an annual contest.
The program is very data intensive and requires data entry and submission of samples. After submitting the required soil, tissue and whole plant analysis for comparison with their data entries, participating growers receive reports specific to their field at the end of the season. This allows farm-specific information about how their wheat crop develops and produces yield, as well as how they compare to their peers.
“During the winter, our YEN staff team assembles boxes with materials growers need to take the samples throughout the growing season including pre-addressed and stamped envelopes,” said Dennis Pennington, YEN collaborator and Michigan State University wheat specialist.
“We help first-time participants set up access to the YEN database in order to enter their selected field. We need everything ready to go before growers head out into the fields this spring,” he said.
All of the organization and work put into developing YEN is and has been grower-driven.
“With four years under our belt we’ve come a long way and have learned a lot about how wheat grows and produces yield,” said Jody Pollok-Newsom, executive director of the Michigan Wheat Program. “The data we collect and report back to participants is providing valuable insights into farm-specific operations and potential, and helps identify management practices that improve yields”.
With the upcoming season being the fifth year of the Great Lakes YEN, the program is clearly encouraging wheat producers to try new things and learn from other growers across the Great Lakes region. Every field is different and has different yield potential based on a multitude of factors, such as environment (rainfall, sunlight), soil (water holding capacity, nutrient level), and management (inputs used and timing).
When harvest is complete, data is compiled and reported back to each participant via a field-specific written report as well as through participant-only regional events and meetings. Individual farm data will be specific to each grower and is secured and not reported back to anyone except that grower.
New location for 2025 Summer Tour! Each summer a tour is developed to help YEN participants “Network.” The optional June 2025 tour for Great Lakes YEN participants will be to the UK to see farms that have been participating in the YEN and visit their annual cereal’s event. A top UK YEN wheat grower who will be visited next summer will also be a keynote presenter at the Michigan Wheat Program’s Annual Winter Meeting – registration is now live for the annual meeting at miwheat.org under the sign up section.
Through the collaboration of agricultural stakeholders in the Great Lakes region in the US and Ontario, the Great Lakes YEN connects farmers, agronomists, academics, extension specialists, agriculture organizations and more, to analyze, measure and understand yield potential vs. actual yield of a given field.
Growers interested in joining YEN have until Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, to sign up. To register or for more information on Great Lakes YEN either scroll down the page to the sign up section on this website or visit https://www.GreatLakesYEN.com or look for the hashtag #GreatLakesYEN. The registration fee is $300.
Sponsors note! The Yield Enhancement Network Program is data-heavy and quite expensive to manage. Sponsors are invited to help offset costs. If interested in sponsoring, companies are asked to contact Michigan Wheat Program executive director Jody Pollok-Newsom at jody@miwheat.org. Or call her at 517-490-0280.