Kalb family wins two national corn yield categories and place in others

Perennial corn yield champion Kevin Kalb and his family can be found all through the leaders of the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) 2022 National Corn Yield Contest. Kalb, a corn grower from Dubois, Ind., once again won the Strip, Min, Mulch, Ridge-Till Non-Irrigated division with a yield of 360.1445 bushels.

Kalb finished nearly 25 bushels more than second-place finisher Dale Hadden of Jacksonville, Ill.

The No-Till Non-Irrigated division was swept by the Kalb family. Kevin’s daughter, Nikia, won the category with
a yield of 355.7383 bushels. Kevin’s wife, Shawn, was second at 350.0314 bushels; and another daughter, Rhylan, was third at 350.0301 bushels.

Another child, Emmersen, was third in the Conventional Non-Irrigated division with a yield of 340.0538 bushels. That category was won by Cory Atley of Cedarville, Ohio at 366.3266 bushels.

U.S. farmers planted and harvested a large crop in 2022 despite an array of weather challenges. The 27 national winners in 9 production categories had verified yields averaging 340.7245 bushels per acre, compared to the projected national average of 172.3 bushels per acre nationwide. The National Corn Yield Contest is now in its 58th year and remains NCGA’s most popular program for members.

“Corn plays an incredibly important role in so many aspects of life in America and abroad,” said Lowell Neitzel, chair of NCGA’s Member and Consumer Engagement Action Team. “This contest offers a unique opportunity for all farmers to take part in the innovation and creativity that move our industry forward. Contest winners, at the national and state levels, find new ways to excel while using a variety of techniques. Ultimately, the data generated and insights found by farmers and input providers enable U.S. farmers to continue to meet the future demand for critical food, feed, fuel and fiber.”

For more than half a century, NCGA’s National Corn Yield Contest has provided corn growers with the opportunity to compete with their colleagues to grow the most corn per acre, helping feed and fuel the world. This has given participants not only the recognition they deserved but the opportunity to learn from their peers.

Kevin Kalb, Shawn Kalb, Nikia Kalb and Emmersen Kalb all were leaders in the Non-Irrigated categories in the statewide contest, too.

Winning the No-Till Irrigated category was Brandon Cardinal of Oaktown, Ind., at 307.5487 bushels, which was slightly better than Jerry Wishmeier, Brownstown, Ind., who had a yield f 307.2239.

Adam Motz of Bourbon, Ind., won the Strip, Min, Mulch, Ridge-Till Irrigated division in Indiana with a yield of 318.7866 bushels. That was less than one bushel better than Kevin D. Smith of Rochester, Ind.

In the Conventional Irrigated division for Indiana, Brooks Cardinal, Oaktown, Ind., won with a yield of 309.6519 bushels. Kathy Little of Hebron, Ind., was second at 286.2328 bushels.

Visit www.ncga.com/NCYC for the complete list of 2022 National and State winners.

Barbara Hatton of Greensburg, Ind., won the new Farm Babies category in the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) 2022 Fields-of-Corn photo contest. Hatton earned the $300 top prize in the category for a photo of a raccoon peeking through a hole in a tree.

In addition to Farm Babies, there are many categories including Scenery and Landscapes, Farm Family Lifestyle, Corn, Growing Field Corn, Farming Challenges, Equipment and Conservation.

Amanda Johnson of Nebraska won the grand prize in NCGA’s 2022 Fields contest. Johnson’s photo, “All the Fall Colors,” was submitted under the Scenery and Landscapes category.

The most popular entry came from the Farm Family Lifestyle category, by Kari DeMoss of Iowa, with the photo, “The Future of the Farm.”

“There are a lot of very talented photographers who enter the contest, and each year we get a wide variety of photographs,” said NCGA Graphic Communications Manager Beth Musgrove. “After nine years, there should be some exciting changes for the tenth contest in 2023.”

In total, 26 prizes were awarded across the eight categories. Winners are determined through a combination of Facebook likes and consideration of a panel of judges. Images submitted to the contest are valuable assets for NCGA in publications, social media channels and the website.

To see all of the prize-winning photos, go online to www.fields-of-corn.com