Milk Maker Forage Winners Recognized

Bruce County Couple Takes Top Prize in Corn and Silage Class

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

The inaugural Milk Maker Forage Competition was unveiled at the second annual Canadian Dairy XPO (CDX) Wednesday, in Stratford, Ontario.

A special presentation was made to Bruce County area dairy farmers Dave and Jennifer Bryson of Bryt Farms. Ltd. The husband and wife farm team won first prize in the corn and silage class.

The Bryson’s found out about the competition at a Forage Focus meeting, and decided to give it a try. “We were always told that we make good feed so we thought we should check it out,” said Jennifer.

Event organizers partnered with the Ontario Forage Council and the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association to offer the competition. 

The competition was open to dairy farmers from across Canada. In order to compete producers had to submit forage samples to a lab for visual analysis.

The Bryson’s grow Mazex corn silage. “Their stuff works,” said Dave. Mazex is a major sponsor of CDX.

There were six different categories, and winners of each division will receive a five hundred dollar cash prize.

Milk Maker Forage Competition 2014 Winners:

Hay Class

First: Darren Chapman - Virden, MB

Second: Sam Luckhardt - Owen Sound, ON

Third: Robyn McKnight – Meaford, ON

Balage Class

First: Kevin MacDonald & Amy Berends-North Lancaster, ON

Second: James Parsons-Cache Bay, ON

Third: Eddie Jantzi-Milverton. ON

Haylage (First Cut)

First: Pedro Slits-Brunner, ON

Second: Neil Wideman, Elmira, ON

Third: Dale Martin-Elmira, ON

Haylage (Second Cut)

First: Henk Dirksen-Alma, ON

Second: Eddie Jantzi-Milverton. ON

Corn Silage

First: Dave and Jennifer Bryson-Dobbinton, ON

Second: Neil Wideman-Elmira, ON

Third: Henk Dirksen-Alma, ON

Corn Silage (BMR)

First: Dale Martin-Elmira, ON

Second: Rob Kirkconnell-Owen Sound, ON

Third: Pedro Slits-Brunner, ON