The Michigan Wheat Program’s fifth annual Winter Grower Meeting is open for registration. The March 14 event has several speakers, including keynote presentations by Mike Mock, an Ohio-based farm risk consultant, and Steven Peterson, an ag sustainability expert, farmer and former General Mills grain executive from Minneapolis.

This year’s meeting is from 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 14 in the Composer Room at the Bavarian Inn Lodge, 1 Covered Bridge Lane, Frankenmuth. Registration is at miwheat.org. Look under “What’s hot” on the left side of the page.

Dave Milligan, MWP chairman and a Cass City farmer, says, “Risk management is important, through both risk control tools and crop diversity. It was important for us to get a speaker who could help growers understand how to minimize risk on their farms.”

Mike Mock, of Mock Consulting Inc., Swanson, Ohio, has had a 40-year career with The Andersons, most recently as a grain merchandiser.  He is well-versed in helping growers develop risk management plans that blend high-quality crop insurance tools with a diversified marketing approach.

“Growers need to be focused on the marketing horizon, and it will certainly be affected by this “sustainability” buzzword,” says Jody Pollok-Newsom, MWP executive director.  “What does sustainability really mean?  Does it matter to or will it affect wheat farmers in Michigan?  And how will growers be able to meet market needs that are driven by consumers and corporations rather than science and regulations?” 

Steven Peterson grew up on a farm and is a farmer himself, in addition to having worked for General Mills. He understands both sides of the sustainability discussion and will enlighten listeners as he explains this new buzzword and what it really means for those involved in the food system.

The meeting will offer a trade show, along with these presentations:
• “Maximizing Profitability by Selecting the Best Wheat Genetics for Your Farm,” by MSU wheat researcher Eric Olson
• Disease challenges growers faced in 2016 by Martin Nagelkirk and Marty Chilvers
• Grower panel discussion by national winners in the National Wheat Yield Contest, including Gordon Briggs from Scottville and Dave Eickholt from Chesaning on how they broke yield records
• “MI Wheat Program Disease Control Work” and an update on the wheat checkoff program by Pollok-Newsom.

The meeting is free, but advance registration is required to ensure the lunch count, adequate seating and handouts.  Last year about 300 people attended the event.

Source: MWP