More sharing, bigger crops: Farmers in the Maritimes are reaping the benefits of working together

A New Brunswick farmer says a program that allows growers to compare yields with farmers from around the Maritimes has made a real difference in his fields.

Eric Theriault, whose father started their family farm in 1976 in Drummond, near Grand Falls in northwestern New Brunswick, grows oats, barley, wheat, rye, peas and soybeans.

He's part of the "yield enhancement network," a program launched in 2019 by the Atlantic Grains Council, supported by federal researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

 "Who would have said, even five years ago, that we would be able to achieve three tonne to the acre on barley," he said. "I've never seen anything like that. There was a grower last year who got three tonne to the acre on spring wheat."

Theriault also runs Eastern Grains, a company that "markets feed grains and oilseeds" and whose "major market is oats for human consumption." according to the website.

He says these are yields no one had even considered before the yield program existed.

"It gives you the ability to see what others have done and what it did for the yield," he said. "And see what you want to introduce the year after and see if it works out on your farm. That's kind of how you build and see where you can bring those yields."

Dave Bell, an agronomist based in Harvey Station, around 42 kilometres southwest of Fredericton, is collecting research data on program for the Atlantic Grains Council.

"We're collecting a variety of farming practices that growers are implementing now," said Bell. 

"And we're just sharing that information so that a grower can look at it ... and it's immediate. You don't have to see multiple years of data in order to make a difference in your farm."

The program finished its first five-year run in March, but co-ordinators are hopeful they will receive funding for another five years.

Aaron Mills, a federal research scientist in Charlottetown, pitched the yield network for Maritime farmers after learning about it while at a conference in the United Kingdom.

According to the federal Agriculture Department, 45 farmers across 98 fields are participating in the program.

The current focus is on winter wheat, wheat, spring wheat, barley, and oats.

Mills said the program has led to an increase in the yields and quality of grain in the Maritime region.

"In New Brunswick, especially, grain hasn't been super popular, but it's important to increase profitability between the potato crops," he said.

"So if we can increase the quality and the yield, and manage the environmental sustainability of the system, then everybody's going to win."

How it works

Co-ordinators for the program go into every participating field at various points in the season to collect plant and soil samples and measure rain and sunlight. Yields are scaled so they can be measured.

Theriault said that as a seed producer, he sees a lot of value in having more information on how various factors affect his varieties and their growth. 

"I want my producers to be as productive as they can and by joining the [network] and doing all of the trials, we get to see what really works and what doesn't work," said Thériault. "And especially seeing what really brings a return on investment."

Thériault also thinks the focus needs to be on maximizing profit while minimizing environmental harm, rather than yield numbers alone.

"In my mind, it's always the return on investment that's worth something and not necessarily getting the yield," he said.

Mills said they are always looking at ways to improve the program, especially applying it to the unique climate in the Maritimes. He hopes to add environmental factors, such as mitigating greenhouse gases, in the future.

Bell agreed there is always room for improvement, and he would like to see more crops, and more participants.

"As new varieties and new practices come along and as our climate changes, I don't think we can ever just sit back and say that we have the formula — this is how you do it," said Bell.