Crane Brothers Farm stands out in national corn growing contest

EXETER — Maine corn grain growers saw their highest yields in the 2018 National Corn Growers Association yield contest according to University of Maine Cooperative Extension professor Rick Kersbergen, who supervises the contest with UMaine Extension associate professor Caragh Fitzgerald.

“2018 proved to be an exceptional year for corn growers,” Kersbergen said. “With a long, warm season and a record-setting number of growing degree days, Maine growers did exceptionally well, with the highest yield that I have ever recorded in my history in Maine.”

Ryan Crane and Crane Brothers Farm, Inc., in Exeter produced more than 278 bushels of corn per acre from a Livermore field to top the state yield in all categories. Other noteworthy yields were from Tyler Bartlett of New Gloucester and Jim Hilton of Norridgewock, conventional tillage and nonirrigated category; Alexander Hilton, Norridgewock, for no-till nonirrigated; Jon McCrum, Bethel, for no-till irrigated; and Jon McCrum and David Bell from Auburn, conventional tillage and irrigated division.

The National Corn Growers Association organizes the annual contest and requires growers to follow strict guidelines with harvest and yield checks supervised by independent crop consultants such as Kersbergen and Fitzgerald. Winners in each category receive a seed company-sponsored trip to the National Corn Growers Commodity Classic conference Feb. 28 to March 2 in Orlando.