By Jody Pollok-Newsom

Canadian wheat specialist Peter Johnson is returning as the keynote speaker for Michigan’s top wheat program March 21.

Johnson traveled to Michigan to be the key speaker at the 2015 Winter Grower Meeting and was popular with the farmers who attended. The wheat checkoff board decided to bring him back to Michigan for the 2018 program.

Johnson is well-known in Canada and the U.S. for his wheat work and recently retired from his position as provincial cereal specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. He has also served as treasurer and past-chair of the Ontario Cereal Crop Committee and chair of the Wheat Technical Working Group, and co-founded the Great Lakes Wheat Workers group.

This year’s event will be at the Eagle Eye Conference Center, 15500 Chandler Road in Bath Township, just north of East Lansing. The program is from 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Grand Garden Room.

Registration is required for the free event, to ensure lunch and seating accommodations. In recent years, nearly 300 wheat farmers have attended.

Johnson will present “High-Yield Wheat: Setting the Stage” in the morning, and “Management for High Yields” in the afternoon.

Other presenters include:
• 2018 Farm Bill update by the Sen. Debbie Stabenow and staff director Joe Shultz, with the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee

• update on the Michigan Wheat Program by executive director Jody Pollok-Newsom

• grower panel on German Wheat Production with Mike Milligan, Jeff Krohn and Dennis Pennington, MSU wheat specialist

• 2018 resources for wheat growers by Martin Nagelkirk, MSUE wheat educator, and Dennis Pennington, MSU wheat specialist

• Grower Needs Survey by Pennington

Farmers are also invited to visit the trade show, which will have a variety of industry displays.

Attendance is free, but preregistration is required to ensure adequate food, handouts and seating. Visit miwheat.org and register in the “What’s hot” box on the left hand. You can also call 888-943-2801.

Pollok-Newsom is the executive director of Michigan Wheat Program.