Jim Lenz earns top state honors in National Corn Yield Contest

    The backbone of agriculture in the U.S. continues to be the American farmer. Holyoke’s Jim Lenz has been honored for his efforts through the 2017 National Corn Yield Contest. The national contest, sponsored annually by the National Corn Growers Association, recognizes farmers from across the country for their exceptional efforts.
    Lenz placed second in the state in the no-till/strip-till irrigated class with a yield of 322.8223 bushels per acre. The hybrid used in the winning field was Pioneer P0801AM™. The winning field was located in Colorado.
    Lenz was one of 426 state winners nationwide. The 2017 contest participation included 7,269 entries from 46 states. Of the state winners, 18 growers — three from each of six classes — were named national winners, representing eight states.
    The average yield among national winners was more than 386 bushels per acre — greater than the projected 2017 U.S. average of 175.4 bushels per acre. Five of the national winners recorded yields of 400 bushels or more per acre and include a new world record of 542.2740 bushels per acre achieved by David Hula of Charles City, Virginia.
 

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