The Indiana State Cornhusking Contest was held today, Saturday, Oct. 7, in Nappanee. The weather did not deter people of all ages to come try their hand at being the fastest husker in Indiana. The contest was held at Reed Farms. InkFreeNews photos by Phoebe Muthart.

By Phoebe Muthart
InkFreeNews

NAPPANEE — It was a chilly start this morning for The Indiana State Cornhusking Contest held today, Saturday, Oct. 7, in Nappanee. The weather did not deter people of all ages to come try their hand at being the fastest husker in Indiana.

The contest was held at Reed Farms in Nappanee. In year’s past the competition took place in Bremen; however, there was a change in venue this year.

The classes of competition included: boys and girls (14 and younger); boys and girls youth (ages 15-20); team husking (four people); handicapped (any age); young men and women’s (ages 21-49); men and women’s open (any age); men and women’s seniors (ages 50-74); and men and women’s golden agers (75 and older). Participants competed in both an individual and team contests.

The Indiana Cornhusking Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the education and historical preservation of early methods of corn harvest and hand cornhusking.

Prior to World War II, America was heavily agrarian and in the Midwest, corn was the primary crop. Each year, families and neighbors would work together to harvest the corn by hand as efficiently as possible. Competition was inspired between farmers to determine the best cornhusker. These competitions grew from local to state and quickly expanded to a national cornhusking competition.

The National Cornhusking Contest will take place Sunday, Oct. 22, in Greenville, Ohio. Over 81 years ago, there were 80-minute contests to determine who was the best person at picking corn by hand. Today, the National Cornhusking Association sponsors a contest the third weekend in October to determine who is the best. There are 12 classes that are from 10 to 30 minutes long that people can participate in. Nine states are members of the National Cornhusking Association: Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, South Dakota and Nebraska.

For winners or more information, visit www.facebook.com/indianacornhusking or www.cornhusking.com.

Siblings Dawson Williams, 6, and Leah Williams, 5, competed for the first time in today’s contest. They have been practicing at home, said their parents.

Warren Martin, left, and Arlen Miller prepare to help weigh corn at the cornhusking contest in Nappanee.

Don Williams of Middlebury shucks corn as fast as he can while his family looks on. He was once an Indiana state champion cornhusker.

Larry Smith husks corn while A. J. Smith, left, guides the horse along trying to keep up with Larry’s pace.

Rolland Miller, left, and Stephanie Newcomer help keep things running smoothly. Newcomer, a new NorthWood High School senior, also helped pick up corn, among other duties.