Chaffee farmer Charles Hinkebein earned a first-place state award in the 2019 National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) National Corn Yield Contest.

Hinkebein is honored as one of the highest corn yield producers in the nation with DEKALB® DKC68-69RIB Brand Blend corn, yielding 280.33 bushels per acre in the Strip-Till, Minimum-Till, Mulch-Till, Ridge-Till Irrigated category.

The NCGA contest, currently in its 55th year, challenges farmers to achieve record-setting yields as part of its search for management practies that can help farmers everywhere. It's NCGA's most popular program with this year's event producing 7,454 entries.

Hinkebein was among DEKALB winners recently recognized at the 2020 Commodity Classic in San Antonio with an awards banquet and private concert featuring Drake White.

In the 2019 NCGA yield contest, DEKALB farmers captured eight of the 27 national awards and 182 first through third place awards at the state level, 31 of which yielded 300 bushels per acre or higher.