Category Archives: Haldimand

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MEMBER PROFILE: Dean Glenney – the man behind the record-breaking corn yields in Ontario

Many producers and industry representatives are focused on boosting yields for Ontario producers. But when it comes to corn, it is Dean Glenney who continues to push through the corn yield glass ceiling.

First he broke through the 200 bushels per acre.

Then he continued to break even his own records pushing past 230, 250 and 270 bushels per acre.

Even with last year’s drought he managed to break through the 300 bushel per acre—in an area designated a drought-affected area, no less.

What’s his secret?

That’s what I want to find out.

Because he’s doing it in Haldimand County, right here in our own Golden Horseshoe area and he’s one of our own Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association members.

* * *

As I’m ushered into his office to await him, my eyes quickly scan the room.

The office in the family’s historic farmhouse is spacious, bright and nicely furnished. The rows of reference books and the well-organized files tell the story that while the office is attractive, there is no mistaking it as indeed command central for the assortment of businesses and ongoing projects Glenney overseas.

But what really catches my eye is the beautiful orchid in the bowed office window.

Most potted orchid plants I have seen are but single stemmed with only a few blooms on them, whereas this plant is large and substantial, with probably a hundred blooms or more cascading from the stem. It is positively magnificent and I’ve never seen anything like it before.

I’m still admiring it when Glenney enters the room.

Greetings and pleasantries are exchanged, and I don’t pass on the opportunity to tell him how absolutely amazing his plant is.

He smiles, and tells me there’s a story to that plant.

He said last year the plant had 195 blooms on it. He hasn’t counted them yet this year, but he said unlocking the secret of the orchid is the same as unlocking the genetic yield potential of the corn.

It sounds intriguing…and should make for an excellent story.

Watch for it in the Summer 2013 edition of “goldenhorseshoe”, available June 2013.

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The Haldimand Soil and Crop Improvement Association selected Dean Glenney as the member profile for the Summer 2013 edition of the “goldenhorseshoe” newsletter, available June 2013.

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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: GHSCIA members open their doors for the 2013 National Holstein Convention this week

The Haldimand, Wentworth and Niagara areas of our Golden Horseshoe region will be on display this week as hundreds of Holstein enthusiasts from across Canada convene in Ancaster and Niagara Falls for the 2013 National Holstein Convention. Several of our Golden Horseshoe Soil and Crop Improvement Association (GHSCIA) members are opening their barn doors to showcase the best of what our region has to offer during the organized Saturday tours. They will do our region proud!

TASTE of ONTARIO CONVENTION SALE - Wednesday, April 10 at 11 am 

  • Cranston Farms, 37 Caluke Road East, Ancaster

TOURS

  • Ardross Holsteins, Caledonia  (9 EX, 50 VG, 40 GP)
  • Cranholme Holsteins, Ancaster  (10 EX, 40 VG, 39 GP)
  • Feederlane Farms, Wainfleet  (5 EX, 35 VG,  35 GP)
  • Freurehaven Farms, Wellandport  (4 EX, 20 VG, 8 GP)
  • Greenview Farms, Fonthill  (6 EX, 25 VG, 10 GP)
  • Heatherick Farms, Dunnville  (4 EX, 23 VG, 14 GP)
  • Parklea Holsteins, Caledonia  (6 EX, 35 VG, 18 GP)
  • Spierdyke Farms, Wainfleet  (1 EX, 18 VG, 20 GP)
  • Summitholm Farms, Lynden  (6 EX, 75 VG, 100 GP)
  • Vellhaven Farms, Grimsby  (6 EX, 35 VG, 9 GP)
  • Whitnell Holsteins, Wainfleet   (3 EX, 20 VG, 10 GP)

With apologies if I have missed any Golden Horseshoe SCIA members who are graciously hosting tours.

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EVENT: Haldimand SCIA Spring Information Meeting

Here are some take-aways from the Haldimand SCIA Spring Information meeting. More to follow….

SPEAKER: Fence-row farming – Growing Corn at 300 bushels per acre in Haldiamand

~ Dean Glenney, P.Eng., KLS Engingeering Ltd., Dunnville

  • “My new favourite piece of equipment is the power parachute. I got this thing originally to scare birds because we have blackbirds coming out of the river–100,000 of them coming for breakfast and then they come back for supper on the way home. We’ve had bangers…and when the bangers go off I swear they say, ‘listen, the corn must be ready at Glenney’s'!”
  • “There’s a lot of trash with 300 bushel (per acre) corn yet the ground is almost bare. Where did all the trash go? The earthworms.
  • Plot testing underway at Glenney’s operation show that there are two completely different types of bacteria between the the fence-row farming and the conventional fields. Testing of this bacteria show there are only seven different kinds in the fence-row farming yet 26 in the conventional.Why? All theory at this point: that nature is selecting and colonizing certain types of bacteria that will make the plant think it is on steroids.

SPEAKER: What’s new in corn planter management

~ Tom and Brenda Snyder, Grand River Planters, Caledonia

  • “There are things we can do as growers to take the controllable variables out of the equation (and) there is a lot of technology available to us to be able to control them.”
  • Do the math on your own farm. For every seed you are buying, figure out your return per seed. In Southern Ontario, it should be about 560 times return.
  • New technology gives precise and accurate information to the farm management team, allows monitor/visible access while in the field, plus remote access to other operators elsewhere in the operation. Keep an eye on the loss per acre. “If none of the other information (on the monitor) is stopping you (in the field), the Loss per Acre is probably going to because you will be leaving it in the field if you don’t correct it.” With the functionality of remote access, “chances are if you aren’t going to stop…somebody somewhere who is watching–the farm manager, your spouse–is going to.”

AGRONOMY PANEL

~ John Hussack, CCA-ON; Jerry Winnicki, CCA-ON, Clark Agri-Service; and Dean Glenney

  • HUSSACK: “We have found that 90 pounds of nitrogen is no longer sufficient to give you maximum wheat yields. Look at the cost of nitrogen compared to the price of wheat. Obviously the price of wheat is a lot better than it was a few years ago, the cost of nitrogen has gone up but it hasn’t gone up to the appreciable value (of the price of wheat) so why wouldn’t you try to increase yields? That is what they found: 120 pounds of nitrogen…actual nitrogen…is the new standard for nitrogen application on wheat.”
  • WINNICKI: “If we didn’t put fertilizer on today, (by the) tenth of May, wheat is growing…its already dictated its yield potential. I’m playing the odds–if I’m planting 1000 acres of corn…I want my nitrogen out of the way.”
  • GLENNEY: “The key…is recognizing that the intensive management that goes with the vegetable crops now makes sense and pays on every other crop. And so find those things that you have control over and fix them…with the new equipment–GPS, auto steer–now you can find tune a lot of things. Before it was just a matter of getting it into the ground. Now you’ve got the time and the equipment to do some of these things that make sense.”

SPEAKER: Why do we do what we do?

~ Sheldon Smith, Oneida New Holland

  • “When it comes to yield, we can play a part–perhap with some tillage, perhaps with no tillage–but what we want to do is improve the soil. When you think about improving the soil…if you are going to improve the soil, then (ask yourself), why do you do what you do?
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ANNOUNCEMENT: Deadline extension for livestock producers dealing with drought

The provincial and federal governments have announced that the deadline to transport forage under the Canada-Ontario Forage Livestock Transportation Assistance Initiative has been extended by 11 weeks. Farmers will now have until SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 2013 to transport forage, and until FRIDAY, JUNE  14, 2013 to submit their forms to Agricorp.

LINKS

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2012 Canada-Ontario Forage & Livestock Transportation Assistance Initiative available for livestock producers in drought areas

Updated: March 21, 2013

Deadline extended until JUNE 14, 2013    NEW

As you may know, the 2012 Canada-Ontario Forage and Livestock Transportation Assistance Initiative is available for certain Ontario livestock producers who are facing severe forage shortages due to this summer’s dry weather. This AgriRecovery initiative provides up to $2.4 million to help eligible producers in designated drought areas by offsetting extraordinary transportation costs incurred to transport hay, straw, silage and green feed to livestock or eligible breeding livestock to a feed source.

Eligible breeding livestock includes:

  • Beef cattle Elk Sheep Deer Goats
  • Horses (Bred for meat, pregnant mare’s urine or where their offspring is intended for sale)

Designated drought areas:

  • Counties of Bruce, Brant, Grey, Haldimand, Huron, Lanark, Norfolk, Oxford, Perth, Renfrew and Wellington counties;
  • Cities of Hamilton and Ottawa; and
  • Regional municipalities of Halton, Niagara and Waterloo.

Forms and program information:

The deadline to apply is June 14, 2013.

Producers are encouraged to submit forms online for more efficient processing and to avoid incomplete applications. Producers can also submit paper forms by mail, fax or in person. As always, Agricorp’s Customer Care Centre at 1-888-247-4999 is available to answer program-related questions.

Please share this information with your members who may be eligible to receive a one-time payment under this initiative.

Thank you for your support and please contact me at (519) 826-3616 if you have further questions.
Debbie Brander
Senior Industry Specialist, Product Management and Industry Relations, Agricorp