Breakfast meetings bring crop agronomists and industry professionals together during a key time in the growing season to discuss current field conditions. These meetings are a great opportunity to ask questions, work through field challenges, and share clear, consistent messages for growers across the industry. Participants are welcome to purchase their own breakfast and the meetings offer a valuable chance to connect and network with peers.
The meeting locations and meeting dates for all breakfast meetings are listed below. For the 2026 season, the Ridgetown meeting will be live-streamed and in-person. The Northern meeting will continue as a virtual meeting. All other meetings will be held in-person only and cannot be livestreamed because they are held in restaurants.
If you cannot join us for breakfast, you can catch up on the discussion in the summary notes below (posted later that same week).
Breakfast Sponsor: Thanks from the group to “Richard Anderson – BASF Canada” Quote of the week – “Yellow as a Duck’s Foot” from Peter Johnson in reference to wheat with no N. Synopsis: The cool wet weather has slowed the development of the winter wheat crop. Some corn was planted last week mainly on the […]
Synopsis: Field work is on hold waiting for drier and warmer conditions. Many parts of the Norfolk to Niagara region have had more rain in the past week (up to May 3) than last years’ growing season total. Wheat: September-planted wheat is pushing 2-3rd node and earliest fields could be at flag leaf in the […]
General The weather forecast is an obvious concern for everyone. Not much done and lots to do. Once there is a break its going to be a mad dash to the finish. We know from previous research and experience that the importance of early planting date to yield potential is over ridden by the requirement […]
General Conditions: Currently some growers are beginning to spread manure and applying fertilizer on hay and winter wheat stands. To date very few fields have been cultivated due to the wet weather. Field conditions are more like a normal year. Forages: Most forage stands appear to have survived well. However, forage stands south of Highway […]
Crop Insurance IMPORTANT NOTE Review your farm renewals! Call in damage report when you first notice it (they will decide if inspection required) To date a few winter wheat claims, but small by comparison to other years and mostly from areas that would be expected. Tends to be low areas in fields especially with the […]
Breakfast Sponsor: Thanks from group to “Bob Thirlwall – Monsanto/Dekalb Seeds“ The Quote of the Week comes from Bob Buis Agronomist with Pioneer Seeds – “Remember Your Fence Lines and Be Careful With Poison Ivy” ! The group wishes you a speedy recovery, Bob! National Soil Conservation Week Synopsis: The winter wheat crop looks excellent […]
Thank you to Martin Harry who chaired meeting and to Secan that sponsored breakfast. The next meeting will be on May 9th starting at 7:00 am for breakfast (meeting starts at 7:30). Joanna Follings will be the chairperson. A special welcome was made of the considerable number of students present at the meeting. It’s great […]
WINTER WHEAT: Reports from across the region indicate that the wheat crop is looking good, with minimal damage reported on sites that are imperfectly drained and areas subject to ponding. September planted wheat is tillering nicely with later planted ground being not as far along. Fields that received higher rates of starter or manure are […]
Breakfast Sponsor: Thanks from group to “Stephanie Divirtaris – Syngenta Seeds“ Synopsis: The quote of the week comes from Dr. Peter Sikkema – “Start Clean – Stay Clean”! The group acknowledged the passing of Morris Sagriff and Alan Spicer both regular attendees at the meetings. Their interesting contributions to the discussion will be missed. Corn […]
Alfalfa/Forages Alfalfa is just breaking dormancy. Roots seem intact, with some new growth just starting. The consensus is that winter survival is good in eastern Ontario, other than some of the poorly drained land where there was some heaving of the crowns 2 to 3 inches out of the ground. Further west, mainly along the […]
Thank you to David Townsend who chaired the first breakfast meeting and to BASF that sponsored breakfast. The next meeting will be on April 25th starting at 7:00 am for breakfast (meeting starts at 7:30) at the Malibu restaurant near Exeter. Martin Harry will be the chairman. The meetings will finish no later than 9:00 […]
SUMMARY A small group was in attendance, and much of the discussion was focused on wheat and dicamba-tolerant soybeans. Conditions have been wet in recent days with more rain to come, so the hope is that not too much nitrogen has been applied to wheat before the rain because it may have been lost. Producers […]
Thank you to Pride for sponsoring breakfast. Peter Johnson chaired this meeting. Thank you to the Malibu Restaurant for hosting the meeting. Synopsis: Rainfall varied on Monday June 20th with some areas receiving between 0.5 and 1.0 inches of rain and others receiving none. Conditions are getting extremely dry particularly in the Niagara and Haldimand […]
There is still a lot of field activity happening, but the real busy rush is starting to slow down. Accumulated heat units are shown in the table below. Thanks Bill Brown and FS Partners for sponsoring breakfast. The June 14 meeting was the last of the year at Mt Forest, and we thank everyone for participating. […]
Breakfast Sponsor: Thanks from the group to “Stephanie Divitaris – Syngenta“ Synopsis: The quote of the week comes from Jason VanMaanen “Just because you have the best soil doesn’t mean you have the best management.” following comments on the poor looking corn crops in Dover Township. The weather this spring has had an impact on […]