Coosa farm wins corn yield contest

Farmer Jamie Jordan has been named a national champion corn producer for 2017 by the National Corn Growers Association. Jordan, who oversees a farming operation that spans fields in Georgia and Alabama, placed first in the A NoTill/Strip-Till Non-Irrigated category for last year. His crop produced a yield of 259.4 bushels of corn per acre. Jordan said he planted 400 acres of corn on his farm in a bend of the Coosa River last year.

“We take advantage of research and different types of seed, but really most of the credit has to go to the weather and the man upstairs,” Jordan said.

Jordan said last year’s crop was the best he’s had since 1993.

“I think I’ve had irrigated crops in the 225-230-bushel-per-acre range before but last year was by far the best,” Jordan said.

The overwhelming majority of Jordan’s corn goes to chicken feed through mills in Alabama. Mike Flynt of Centre, Alabama, placed third in Alabama in the A NoTill/Strip-Till Non-Irrigated Class with a yield of 239.4 bushels per acre.

The 2017 contest included more than 7,200 entries from 46 states.

The National Corn Yield Contest began in 1965 with 20 entries from three states. The highest overall yield 52 years ago was 218.9 bushels per acre, compared to the national yield which was in the mid-60 bus-helper-acre range.