Farmers Forum staff
GUELPH — Grey County’s Wayne Metzger posted the highest winter wheat yield among Ontario competitors in the 2024-2025 Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network competition, an event open to growers in Ontario and the state of Michigan. He placed second overall.
But Nick Suwyn, of Wayland, Michigan, had the top yield with 182.7 bu/ac, a new program record and first time exceeding 180 bu/ac. Western Ontario’s Wayne Metzger yielded 170.1 bu/ac. A Michigan farmer finished third with 156.2 bu/ac.
The Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) competition also recognizes growers’ percentage of possible yield based on farm location, local conditions and heat units. In this category, making the best of what the farm has to work with, Mark Davis of Napanee, finished 3rd with a score of 105 %, meaning he achieved a yield 5 % above what was the best to be expected on his land.
Now in its fifth year, the competition is intended to foster enhanced winter wheat yields in the cross-border region. It’s a joint initiative of the Grain Farmers of Ontario, Michigan State University, Michigan Wheat Program, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, and the University of Guelph.
Farmers interested in participating in the 2025-2026 Great Lakes YEN are encouraged to visit https://greatlakesyen.com/how-to-participate/ for more information. Registration for the program will be opening soon and will close January 30, 2026.
