NCGA contest one for the record books

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — The year 2011 was a record breaker for the 46th yield competition sponsored by the National Corn Growers Association.
There were 8,425 entries, again setting a new participation record.
That was an 18-percent increase over 2010 (7,125) and an unprecedented 70 percent increase over 2007 (4,932).
The contest is run in six production classes.
First, second and third place winners are announced in each class.
Those 18 producers had verified yields averaging more than 313.107 bushels per acre, compared to the projected national average of 146.7 bushels per acre in 2011.
For the contest, a farmer selects a minimum of 1.25 acres on which planting involves seeding eight rows, skipping 24, seeding eight and skipping 24 right across the full width of the 1.26-acre plot.
The contest is divided into two divisions — Class AA for states in what is known as the “Corn Belt” and Class A for all other corn-growing states.
The Class AA states are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin.
There were three national winners from the Mid-Atlantic. David Hula of Charles City., Va., had the highest yield in the contest, 429 bushels an acre in the No-Till Irrigated Class.
Justice Family Farms in Beckley. Va., was also a first place national winner with 288 bushels an acre in the Non-Irrigated Class. And John Rigdon of Jarrettsville, Md., took third place nationally with a yield of 285 bushels an acre in the No-Till/Strip Till Non-Irrigated Class.
First, second and third place winners were also selected for each class in each state.
Here are the state winners for the Mid-Atlantic region. They are listed, by competition class, in this order: From first to third, name, hometown, variety, and bushels per acre.
Irrigated
• Delaware: Mark Collins, Laurel, DeKalb DKC61-69, 309.6 bushels.
• Maryland: Mica Farms, Church Hill, Pioneer 33N58m, 299.3 bushels; Marion B. Wilson, Centreville, DeKalb DKC62-97, 245.7 bushels; Labrador Acres, Church Hill, Pioneer P1184AM1, 240.2 bushels.
• New Jersey: Clara Santini, Stewartsville, Pioneer 34F97, 270.9 bushels; Charles Meyers, Woodstown, Pioneer P1184, 247.4 bushels; Byron DuBois, Pittsgrove, DeKalb DKC64-24, 236.2 bushels.
• Virginia: Edwin A. Mills, Hanover, Pioneer P1745HR, 296.5 bushels; John N. Mills, Hanover, Pioneer P1184HR, 270.6 bushels; Flaggy Run Farms, Courtland, Pioneer 33M57, 257.4 bushels.
Non-Irrigated
• Delaware: Hudson Farms, Frankford, Channel 214-14VT3P, 273.5 bushels; Richard A. Ashley, Felton, Augusta A5461 GTCBLL, 247.0 bushels; R& S Farms, Frankford, Pioneer P1184HR, 214.3 bushels.
• Maryland: Winona Farm, Queenstown, Seed Consultants SCS 11HQ38, 206.9 bushels; Jarod Smith, Monkton, Mid-Atlantic Seeds, MA 8088VT3, 201.4 bushels; Gregory W. Dell, Westminster, Channel 212-453TX, 198.7 bushels.
• New Jersey: Sam Santini, Stewartsville, Pioneer P1184AM1, 277.4 bushels; Bilyk Farms LLC, Belvedere, NK N74R-3000GT, 186.3 bushels; Bilyk Farms LLC, Belvedere, NK N68B-3000GT, 148.2 bushels.
• Virginia: Justice Family Farms, Beckley, Pioneer P2023HR, 288.4 bushels; Ted Haberland, Somerset, Pioneer P2088HR, 247.7 bushels; John F. Davis, Port Royal, Pioneer P1615HR, 246.5 bushels.
No-Till/Strip Till Irrigated
• Delaware: DMC Farms Inc, Laurel, DeKalb DKC63-87, 300.3 bushels; Jason Baldwin, Seaford, Channel 214-14VT3P, 278.9 bushels; Ockels Farms Inc, Milton, DeKalb DKC, 61-69, 258.4 bushels.
• Maryland: Michael R. Bostic, Church Hill, Pioneer P1184AM1, 293.7 bushels; Sage Baker, Vienna, Pioneer 33D49, 265 bushels; Tuckahoe Farms, Denton, Channel 214-14VT3P, 256.3 bushels.
• New Jersey: Carly M. Barlieb, Stewartsville, Pioneer PO891AM1, 236.6 bushels.
• Virginia: David Hula, Charles City, Pioneer P2088HR, 429.0 bushels; Cub Run Dairy LLC, McGaheysville, Pioneer P1184AM1, 247.3 bushels; LaVonne Heatwole, McGaheysville, Pioneer P1184AM1, 243.0 bushels.
No-Till/Strip Till
Non-Irrigated
• Delaware: Kenneth E. Lester, Saint Georges, DeKalb, DKC62-97, 184.7 bushels; Mike McCabe, Millsboro, Southern States SS684GENVT3P, 180.0 bushels,
• Maryland: John Alexander Rigdon, Jarrettsville, Pioneer P1395XR, 285.4 bushels; Indian Spring Farm, Darlington, Mid-Atlantic Seeds MA8143VY3P, 213.2 bushels; Gary L. King, Princess Anne, Pioneer P1184HR, 191.9 bushels.
• New Jersey: Jeffrey K. Barlieb, Stewartsville, DeKalb DKC64-69, 269.8 bushels; Chris Santini, Stewartsville, Pioneer PO965AM1, 256.6 bushels.
• Virginia: Justice Family Farms, Beckley, Pioneer 33M57, 285.2 bushels; Richard Taylor Sanford, Tappahannock, Channel 214-62VT3, 257.7 bushels; W. Thomas Hicks, Rappahannock Academy, Pioneer P1615HR, 249.6 bushels.