GrainTALK for September 2021

2021 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

All farmer-members are invited to attend the 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM) being held online via Zoom on Tuesday, September 14. The AGM will provide an update on recent activities of the organization and a review of the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. For more information and to register, go to www.gfo.ca. •

ANNUAL REPORT

Grain Farmers of Ontario’s 2021 Annual Report is available online at www.gfo.ca or you can request a printed copy by calling the office at 1-800-265-0550 and providing your mailing address.

The financial statements are included in the report and these should be reviewed ahead of your attendance at the Annual General Meeting so that you can ask any questions that you may have. The report also contains information about the activities of the organization during the last fiscal year. •

MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION CHANGES

Farmer-members and industry associates who have changes to their mailing address or wish to cancel their subscription to the Ontario Grain Farmer magazine can contact Phaedra McIntosh, Grain Farmers of Ontario database coordinator, at pmcintosh@gfo.ca or 519-767-4130. •

PRIVACY POLICY

Grain Farmers of Ontario is committed to responsibly collecting, using, and disclosing information in compliance with the provincial Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act.

When you voluntarily provide us with any information, we will NOT rent, sell, or otherwise disseminate your information to ANY third party. •

ONTARIO WHEAT HARVEST QUALITY

The Ontario Wheat Harvest Quality program results are now available. Go to https://gfo.ca/ market-development/exporters/ontario-wheat-quality/to find results from winter and spring wheat classes.

Grain Farmers of Ontario’s joint venture with SGS Canada, Inc., the Grains Analytical Testing Laboratory (GATL), conducted this year‘s wheat harvest survey program. The program analyzes samples from across the province and wheat classes to help create a picture of each year’s harvest quality. The results are shared with millers and bakers as an initiative of the Market Development department to promote the increased usage of Ontario wheat. •

GRAIN FARMERS OF ONTARIO SUPPORTS VIRTUAL DIAGNOSTIC DAYS SERIES

Grain Farmers of Ontario is pleased to support the 2021 Ontario Virtual Crop Diagnostic Days. This series follows the success of last year’s online videos and continues the long tradition of annual field events held at Ridgetown, Elora, and Winchester — just in a different format!

A new field crop agronomy topic is presented every two weeks until October 26, 2021. Grain Farmers of Ontario farmer-members can access all content at no cost. Registration is only required if applying for CEU credits. Episodes are available at RealAgriculture.com/ontariodiagnosticdays and fieldcropnews.com. •

2021 FARMER MEMBER SURVEY

Grain Farmers of Ontario wants to hear from you! We are conducting a farmer-member survey from September 2021 to January 2022. The survey includes questions on demographics, member services, and the Ontario Grain Farmer magazine. A paper version of this survey was included with this magazine, but we encourage you to fill the survey out online at www.gfo.ca/survey. Complete the survey now for your chance to win great prizes! •

DON IN CORN

During the pollination stage of corn this summer, the environment (weather) was conducive to the development of gibberella ear mould and fusarium ear mould and the potential production of DON toxins in some regions. Regions that saw temperatures around 27°C to 28°C with higher humidity, fog, or precipitation will be at a greater risk of infection. Locations with continual wet periods during grain fill will have been more susceptible to DON toxin production.

Many farmers proactively applied a fungicide to supress the development of gibberella ear rot and fusarium ear rot. Even with these applications, DON can still form, as the applications only supress the disease development and applications on the silk can vary based on equipment and timing.

The 2021 Ontario Grain Corn Ear Mould and Deoxynivalenol (DON) Mycotoxin Survey will be occurring later this month. Please watch for survey results to help gauge if DON hot spots are appearing. If the survey shows a high rate of DON/ear moulds are present in your area, walk your field to assess your potential risk. Ear moulds and DON toxin levels can continue to develop through October and severe infections will need to be addressed early. Harvest and dry infected corn as quickly as possible to reduce the potential for increasing DON levels in your corn. Adjust harvest equipment to minimize retaining infected grain.

Follow @GrainFarmers on Twitter, provide us your email address for member updates, and go to www.gfo.ca to stay up-to-date on DON developments. •

GREAT LAKES YEN

The Great Lakes YEN is a ground-breaking cross-border collaboration launched this summer in Ontario and Michigan. Grain Farmers of Ontario is a partner in this research project along with Michigan State University, Michigan Wheat Program, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the University of Guelph. The goal is to learn more about specific crop and field characteristics that could uncover opportunities for closing the gap between potential and actual yield.

Farmers planting winter wheat in 2021 (for harvest in 2022) are still needed for this project. Contact the Grain Farmers of Ontario agronomy team mvermey@gfo.ca or lferrier@gfo.ca for more details or go to www.greatlakesyen.com to apply. •

SCHOLARSHIP DONATION MADE

Grain Farmers of Ontario contributed $30,000 to the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus’ Agri-Food Entrance Scholarship Program. This new entrance scholarship program encourages students to pursue their education and careers in diploma programs focussed on the environment, plants, and animals. It offers scholarships of $1,500 to recognize the academic success of students entering the Associate Diplomas in Agriculture, Horticulture, or Environmental Management programs. •

CLASSROOM RESOURCES

As your children head back to the classroom this September, don’t forget to encourage their teachers to include grain farming in their lesson plans. We have several resources available for teachers under the ‘Good in Every Classroom’ tab at www.goodineverygrain.ca. Resources, such as our seed kits and ‘Draw with Rob’ video series, are based on the current grade school curriculum and provide students with a fun way to learn about farming, the environment, and agriculture technology. •

SIGN UP TODAY FOR GRAINTALK ENEWS

GrainTALK is Grain Farmers of Ontario’s weekly e-newsletter that highlights the organization’s latest activities, breakthroughs in research and timely production information. Sign up today at www.gfo.ca and get your weekly dose of Grain Farmers of Ontario in a concise email. •

MARKET COMMENTARY

by Philip Shaw
Is the crop made? July is when corn pollination took place. Soybeans depended on August rains to fill those pods. On July 12, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released their latest WASDE report pegging domestic corn production at 15.165 billion bushels, based on the updated June 30 acreage figure of 92.7 million acres with a yield unchanged of 179.5 bushels per acre. The USDA left U.S. soybean production unchanged at 4.405 billion bushels based on a yield of 50.8 bushels per acre.

In Ontario, wheat harvest was challenged by almost daily rain but by August was mostly complete. The Canadian dollar lost about four cents against the U.S. dollar from June 1 to July 27, which helped sustain basis levels across Ontario. •