National Cornhusking contest celebrates 100th anniversary this weekend

Staff reports
·2 min read
Competitors and spectators at the 1932 National Corn Husking Championship between Galva and Kewanee.
Competitors and spectators at the 1932 National Corn Husking Championship between Galva and Kewanee.

MACOMB, Ill. — Unforgettable Forgottonia will not only host the 2022 Illinois State Cornhusking Contest but also this year’s National Cornhusking Competition on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 15 and 16.

To put in perspective, the Cornhusking Nationals is celebrating its Centennial with the culmination of nine state cornhusking champions coming to McDonough County from Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio and South Dakota, along with other competitors from across the country to compete on Sunday, Oct. 16 to see who becomes the Nation’s top husker.

The event, held rain or shine at the Lewis Farm just outside of Macomb, also will feature antique farm equipment displays, kids’ activities, the Corn Items Collectors displays and great food and fun for the entire family.

The first organized cornhusking contest was originated in 1922 by Henry A. Wallace, the Iowa editor of Wallace’s Farmer magazine, as a way to decide the area’s best corn husker.

Today’s contests hold true to that tradition, displaying the practice of picking corn by hand as it was done for centuries prior to the invention of modern mechanical pickers.

The contest has not only become a sport, but an art form.

“You’ll be surprised just how fast and accurate a top picker can be,” said Unforgettable Forgottonia’s own multi-national champion and Huskers Hall of Famer Frank Hennenfent. “A champion competitor can husk, glean and wagon 40 ears of corn a minute.”

Hennenfent will be competing again this year.

Competition will be divided into 12 classes for men and women, beginning with girls and boys age 14 and younger, up to classes for men and women age 75 and older.

Youngsters and seniors pick for 10 minutes; the Men’s Open Class lasts for 30 minutes. All other competitors pick for 20 minutes. A gleaner follows each competitor to retrieve missed ears and husks; their weight is deducted from the husker’s total.

Top three contestants in each class qualify for Sunday’s national contest.

Novice and Pee Wee Class competitions will also be offered so everyone will have the opportunity to try picking corn by hand. Information will be available the day of contest on times.

A small section of the 50,000 spectators at the 1932 National Corn Husking Contest that was held on the Robert Peterson farm between Kewanee and Galva.
A small section of the 50,000 spectators at the 1932 National Corn Husking Contest that was held on the Robert Peterson farm between Kewanee and Galva.

Both days of contests will be held at the Lewis Farm, 14241 N. 1800 Rd. in Good Hope, Illinois. Illinois state membership is required to pick in classes to qualify for the national cornhusking contest.

Fees are $3 for youth and $15 for all adult classes. There is no charge for spectators.

Saturday’s top three Illinois state contestants in each class qualify for Sunday’s National contest. Registration at 8 a.m. with contests starting at 9 a.m.

For more information or if the contest is postponed, canceled, or moved to an alternate location, check Illinois Corn Husking at www.illinoiscornhusking.com or www.cornhusking.com.

This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: What to know about the 2022 Illinois State Cornhusking Contest