Spring wheat challenge winners announced

by SUSAN MANN

This year’s Grain Farmers of Ontario spring wheat challenge featured some phenomenal wheat growers.

Crosby Devitt, Grain Farmers manager of research and market development, says the average yield among the nine entrants for the second annual competition was 85.4 bushels per acre. That’s far higher than the provincial average of about 52 bushels per acre.

The first prize of $1,500 went to Schouten Corner View Farms Ltd. of Richmond with 98.42 bushels per acre growing Sable wheat.

Second prize of $750 was won by John Schiestel of Tesswater with 92.08 bushels per acre growing Wilken wheat.

R&J Fraser Farms of Ottawa won the third prize of $500 with 91.71 bushels per acre growing Sable wheat.

The winners were announced Jan. 11 at the district 13 meeting in Elgin. Devitt says this year’s competition was tight with the top three entrants having yields in bushels per acre in the 90s while the other competitors had yields in the bushels per acre reaching the 80s.

The spring wheat challenge was supported by platinum sponsor, Bayer CropScience, and gold sponsors, C&M Seeds and Hyland Seeds. BF