Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

GFO Soybean Yield Challenge: Congratulations to the top prize winners George Ennis and Jon Bakker

Congratulation goes out to all the winners!

The top soybean yields were George Ennis at 80.2 bushels per acre and Jon Bakker at 74 bushels per acre.

WINTER WHEAT YIELD CHALLENGE AND SOYBEAN YIELD CHALLENGE RESULTS
Top Yields Revealed at Banquet Today in Ingersoll
GUELPH, ON (December 8, 2011) – Top yielding Ontario farmers were rewarded today at a banquet in Ingersoll. The event was the culmination of two contests: the Winter Wheat Yield Challenge and the Soybean Yield Challenge. Entrants submitted their best fields to compete against their peers and those with the highest yields were rewarded with great prizes.


This was the first year of the Winter Wheat Challenge and the winners definitely eserve their prizes.
 First Place, winning $1500: Lloyd Crowe of Picton, 150 bushels/acre with 25R56
 Second Place, winning $750: Zilke Farms of Woodstock, 140.8 bushels/acre with 25R39


The Soybean Yield Challenge was separated into two divisions: an IP division sponsored by DuPont and a non-IP division brought to you by Genuity. Within each division, entrants were separated into three zones based on crop heat units.


Zone 1 (2700 CHU and under)

Non-IP Division 

1st Place Ronald Rody, Moorefield, Dekalb 26-11RY, 57.8 bushels /acre

IP Division
1st Place Jon Bakker, Frankford, S05-T6, 74.0 bushels /acre
2nd Place Schouten Corner View Farms, Richmond, S03-W4, 73.7 bushels /acre

Zone 2 (2725 to 3000 CHU)
Non-IP Division
1st Place George Ennis, Winchester, Titanium, 80.2 bushels /acre
2nd Place R&J Fraser Farms Ltd, Ottawa, 91Y90, 68.5 bushels /acre
IP Division
1st Place Ceresmore Farms, Bowmanville, Colby, 69.7 bushels /acre
2nd Place Justin Dorland, Brighton, 91M01, 64.1 bushels /acre


Zone 3 (3025 CHU and above)
Non-IP division
1st Place Simard Bros Inc., Oldcastle, 92Y80, 72.9 bushels /acre
2nd Place Robert Devolder, Dover Centre, 32-60RY, 67.9 bushels /acre


The two Grand Prize winners: George Ennis and Jon Bakker, each received a trip for two to the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky! All winners and runners up received admission to Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show and a local farm show of their choice. Winners in each division and each zone went home with a cash prize of $10 x their yield in bushels.

Grain Farmers of Ontario
100 Stone Road West, Suite 201 Guelph, ON N1G 5L3
Tel: 1-800-265-0550 www.gfo.ca


The production challenges would not be possible without the generous support of sponsors. The Winter Wheat Challenge was sponsored by Bayer CropScience, Hyland Seeds and C&M Seeds. For the Soybean Yield Challenge, the prizes for the IP division were provided by DuPont, the prizes for the non-IP division were sponsored by Genuity and the banquet received generous assistance from Pioneer Hi-Bred Ltd. Also providing support for the soybean challenge at the Gold Sponsorship level
were Dekalb, Hyland Seeds, Maizex, Mycogen and NK Seeds and at the silver level were Country Farm Seeds and SeCan.


Grain Farmers of Ontario
Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) is the province’s newest and largest commodity organization, representing Ontario’s 28,000 corn, soybean and wheat farmers. The crops they grow cover 5 million acres of farm land across the province, generate over $2.5 billion in farm gate receipts, result in over $9 billion in economic output
and are responsible for over 40,000 jobs in the province.


- 30 –
Contact:
Meghan Burke, Communications – 519 767-2773, mburke@gfo.ca
Erin Fletcher, Communications – 519 767-4137; efletcher@gfo.ca

Views: 112

▶ Reply to This

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

The 13-Year Lag: Why Today’s Wheat Breeding Success Depends on Yesterday’s Investment

Wheat varieties are performing better than ever, but a “slow drip” of budget cuts means the next generation of innovation is at a critical crossroads. Wheat varieties that deliver high yields, exceptional quality and strong disease packages are available in abundant choice to Manitoba farmers. This choice and performance are thanks to an often-overlooked wheat breeding innovation system. “Wheat is one of my favourite crops to grow; it can withstand whatever the year throws at it,” says Jocelyn Velestuk, chair of the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC). “In past decades that hasn’t always been the case.” There’s lots of variables driving the success of wheat in Western Canada, but Velestuk is adamant that the foundation of that success is our wheat breeding programs. “We can’t take that system for granted and right now, it’s at risk,” she says. While the varieties available today are excellent, the process of plant breeding means those successes are built on efforts made over 1

Rotimi Aluko, professor, University of Manitoba

Rotimi Aluko is a professor at the University of Manitoba (UM) in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, as well as director of the Richardson Centre for Food Technology and Research. Originally from Nigeria, he completed his undergraduate and master’s degrees in biochemistry there before earning a PhD in food science at the University of Guelph. He moved to Winnipeg in 2001, where he lives with his wife. Their two children are grown; one lives in Winnipeg and the other is in Alberta. Where did you work before UM? I’ve been here for 25 years, but before UM I worked as a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in Saskatoon. What got you interested in becoming a professor? From my undergraduate days I was fascinated by my professors, how they taught, carried themselves and were respected in society. I worked as a scientist with AAFC after my PhD, but I was always on the lookout for a professorial position. It had been a longtime goal, so when t

Canadian Cattle Association Statement on Revised Regulatory Approach to the Livestock Traceability Regulations

The Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) is pleased by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) announcement that new movement reporting requirements for cattle will not be moving forward while changes for other species will proceed. CCA remains committed to our support for livestock traceability as a core pillar of disease preparedness, market access and confidence in Canadian beef. CCA and provincial member organizations are in the final stages of convening a Task Force to work for producers on a risk-based, industry-led approach to disease preparedness and emergency management and will be making an announcement soon, pending finalization of the Task Force members.

Waterton Biosphere Region seeking input on predator losses

The Waterton Biosphere Region is seeking input from livestock producers who have experienced losses to bears, wolves or cougars between 2021 and 2025. Information collected through the survey will be used to help inform discussions around Alberta’s predator compensation program.  Producers are asked to provide up to five years of data on livestock inventories, overall death losses and predator-related losses. Personal information will remain confidential and will not be shared externally.  The survey is currently open to producers located within the Waterton Biosphere Region and will remain open until the end of June.  The survey is available online:  Producer Data – Predator Losses  Paper copies can also be obtained through local municipal district offices.  Understanding the biosphere region The Waterton Biosphere Region is a biosphere region located in southwestern Alberta. According to the organization, biosphere reserves are traditionally organized into three zones, known a

Wild boar eradication efforts continue across Alberta

Province reports nearly 600 animals removed since 2018 Alberta’s Wild Boar Control Program says efforts to eradicate invasive wild boar from the province are continuing to advance, with nearly 600 animals removed since 2018. In an update shared through the Alberta Invasive Species Council (AISC), the province reported that 595 wild boar have been removed through trapping efforts since the program began, including 108 animals in 2025 and nine more so far in 2026. Tracking progress toward eradication Wild boar are considered one of the most destructive invasive species affecting agriculture in North America due to their ability to damage crops, pasture, fencing, water systems and native ecosystems. They can also pose disease risks to livestock and wildlife populations. “The Wild Boar Control Program is taking some big steps towards eradicating wild boar in Alberta with the support of all our amazing partners,” wrote Hannah McKenzie, Wild Boar Specialist with the Alberta government,

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service