All hands on deck: Preparing for corn-husking competition

BREMEN, Ind. — Clay Geyer is balancing working on the farm, promoting corn-husking competitions and much more this summer.

He shared an update on his adventures in northern Indiana with AgriNews.

Q: What are you working on at the farm this week?

A: The last week of May, I finished spraying corn for broad leaves and grasses. We are hoping the weather will cooperate, so we can spray fungicide on the wheat, too.

I plan to do some maintenance to the barn and barnyard area, mow the cow pasture and upgrade the existing fence around the pasture field before the next group of heifers arrive. Sidedressing with 28% and cultivating corn will be next up on the agenda.

Q: What are your expectations for yield and quality this season?

A: The cool air temperature combined with the blustery, wind gusts and the super low humidity allowed us to start first-cutting grass a few days prior to Mother’s Day weekend.

It was a tad bit early, but the orchardgrass was starting to head out, and the weather was favorable with no rain in sight.

I looked at the forecast prior to Memorial Day weekend and decided to cut the rest of the alfalfa before the high winds blew it down; thankfully, we managed to finish baling up the last field of first cutting on May 18.

My first cutting may have yielded slightly less, but this was merely due to the fact of no rain and being cut a week or two earlier than normal.

The first of May delivered plenty of warmth, which also set the stage for alfalfa weevil to devour the alfalfa leaves, continue causing increasingly more damage by the day.

I almost sprayed insecticide to slow the insect pressure, but instead of risking any harm to the honeybees in the neighborhood, I decided I might as well start my harvest of baling hay early.

Plus, if I had sprayed for alfalfa weevil, this would have set me back another two weeks and restricted me before I could have cut the hay.

The soft red winter wheat crop seems to be way ahead of schedule, and the heads have already emerged from the boot stage.

I have seen very few fields of wheat that look amazing, but so far the fields are standing well; but the straw is short. Maybe the lack of quality wheat acreage will help drive up the price per bushel at harvest.

Q: What are the key preparations and challenges involved in hosting both the state and national corn-husking competitions this year?

A: Preplanning for a state and national event is something that is ongoing, and no matter how prepared a person may think he or she is, it is a project that never ends.

The state competition is relatively easy, but I’ve been involved in hosting and planning this event for 12 years now.

I also have a checklist that I refer back to throughout the year, and while it may seem impossible to nail every detail down to a T, it is much easier than planning for a national corn-husking competition.

The national competition really isn’t much bigger than our state contest, but this event will draw visitors from eight other states, plus a dozen or so other states that do not have a contest of their own.

Communication among other states has been a challenge, so I’m working with a fellow husker from South Dakota to create a new national website to help spread the word of both our state and national contest in October.

We also have the Indiana Corn Husking Association Facebook page, which is the most up-to-date information available.

Q: Are there any upcoming local agricultural events or initiatives you are participating in or promoting?

A: The month of June will be busy with multiple promotional events for the Indiana Corn Husking Association.

First up will be the Rumley Allis-Chalmer LaPorte Heritage Center, which is having its first annual tractor show at the LaPorte County Museum from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. CST on June 7, then another farm toy show located at North Judson Middle School from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST on June 14 during the 48th annual North Judson Mint Festival and, lastly, the Fulton County Historical Power Show on June 19-21, at the Round Barn Museum north of Rochester on U.S. 31.

Q: Are tar spot and white mold a concern? If so, what measures are you taking this season to monitor and manage potential outbreaks?

A: The only pests I have at the moment are broadleaves and grasses that seem to be growing faster than the corn or soybeans. Tar spot in the corn is always a concern, along with my white mold and soybeans, but it is too early in the growing season to detect these issues.

I try to select seed that is less vulnerable to those diseases; but regardless of the technological advances in seed production, I usually have fungicide applied by a crop duster for added protection prior to harvest.

Q: With crops in storage, how are you approaching marketing decisions amid current market conditions?

A: The only crops I have in storage at the present time is ear corn from last fall, which I hope to deliver to Yoder Farm Service in the coming weeks to free up the gravity wagons for wheat harvest.

We usually harvest a couple thousand bushels of corn for cow feed and the remainder is sold to the local elevator in Topeka, which is about 50 miles away.

It may not exactly be local, but it is the only feed elevator in Indiana that I know of that still purchases ear corn and shells the corn from the cob.

I did plant more corn this year than I anticipated, so with that being said, I am not sure how much I will pick on the ear and store in the wood ear corn crib this fall.

There are a number of marketing strategies out there, and while it is all a gamble to choose the best option available for fall delivery, it also comes with a great risk, too.

I am not one to bite off more than I can chew, so I usually wait until I have the crop harvested and out of the field before I make a bold move to market my grain.

The current market seems to be holding around $4 on corn and $10 on soybeans. While we would all like to see higher prices, I have also seen much lower, as well.

Q: Have you implemented any new equipment or farming practices this year to enhance efficiency or sustainability?

A: Spring planting followed less tillage than normal, and while I did some moldboard plowing, a majority of the tillage practices were minimum and no-tilling.

Despite the lack of rainfall thus far, it is my hope that the soils will retain more moisture if it turns out to be another hot dry summer like it was in 2024.

A common consensus among many fellow farmers has been questioning how to survive without going belly-up.

One of the major stressors of watching the money continue to roll out seems to have many farmers up in arms on how much to invest into each crop.

Usually, my fungicide treatment is flown on by a plane, but since my wheat fields are smaller and chopped up into smaller parcels, I chose Schaller Ag Enterprises with a drone to apply the fungicide this year.

Q: Anything else in your farm or family life you’d like to reflect on or mention?

A: The dust storm of 2025 was definitely something out of a storybook. I’ve always heard of them, but we had front-row seats as it pushed from the west to the east across northern Indiana on May 16.

Congratulations to Paul Gilsinger of Pulaski on his 50 successful years in the John Deere business. What a remarkable collection of memories and milestones that the Gilsinger family has created over the years.

Best of luck to Paul and his retirement as he shifts gears and begins many new chapters in the years ahead.