Joe Deal
Assistant Extension Agent
One of the perks of being an extension agent is that I get to work with a lot of producers in the county and help them solve problems and create solutions. I also get to watch as producers try new practices or technologies; together we are able to celebrate in the triumphs and learn from the defeats. Over the past six years that I have been with N.C. Cooperative Extension, Macon County farmers have shown great progress at being better managers of the resources that we have, utilizing information that is available and stretching the boundaries for yield and profit potential.
When you think of corn, Macon County probably isn’t the first area of the state or country that comes to mind. No, we are not Illinois or Iowa with millions of acres of corn growing for as far as the eye can see, but we do have soils with potential to have good yields and farmers who are driven to increase yields on the limited lands that we do have. Several years ago, Macon County used to recognize those growers who grew corn that had a yield of 100 bushels per acre with inclusion into the “100 bushel club.” How times have changed. Today, producing 100 bushels per acre would not even come close to breaking even as it takes about 160 bushels per acre to cover input costs.
Macon County consistently has yields that go over 200 bushels per acre. One farmer in particular that I get to work with is Adam Huscusson. Adam has participated in the North Carolina Corn Yield Contest since 2016. Each year, Adam has grown corn with some great yields but had a really impressive corn yield in 2020. It was so good in fact that he took home the 2020 North Carolina Corn Yield Contest Dryland Division title. His corn yield of 283.9 bushels per acre bested the second-place yield by 18 bushels per acre. The winning entry was harvested on a 1.3 acre plot. Adam received a plaque for being the western division winner as well as the overall dryland division state winner. Congratulations to Adam for a job well done!
We are well into the growing season this year and so far we have had ideal conditions for a good crop to take shape. Timely rainfall with good heat and sunshine are making the potential for this year’s corn crop to be a record. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of yields Adam can achieve this year.
The North Carolina Corn Yield Contest is sponsored by the Corn Growers Association of North Carolina and administered by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Its purpose is threefold: (1) to encourage North Carolina corn producers to strive for greater yields and profits, (2) to recognize those farmers achieving high corn yields, and (3) to identify those management practices associated with profitable corn production. Anyone who grows one acre or more of corn in North Carolina may enter. Only one entry per farm unit is eligible for an award, but several applications may be submitted if production practices are different. The harvested area must be a minimum size of one acre measured from within a single field.
Deal can be contacted at jcdeal2@ncsu.edu or 828-349-2052.