Source: PRESS RELEASE, 1/16/17

John Ashcraft of Union Co. won the annual North Carolina Soybean Yield Contest with an entry of 87.8 bushels per acre. Ashcraft received the award for the highest yield from Dr. Richard Reich, assistant commissioner of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and Dr. Jim Dunphy, professor of crop science and soybean extension specialist with North Carolina State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, at the Annual Commodity Conference of the North Carolina corn, cotton, small grains and soybean associations, Jan. 12, 2017, in Durham, N.C. The soybean yield contest is administered by North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension and the awards are sponsored by the North Carolina Soybean Producers Association. The winning entries were announced on Jan. 12, 2017.

Ashcraft was awarded a plaque and one expense-paid trip to Commodity Classic, the national conference and trade show for the U.S. corn, sorghum, soybean and wheat industries, in San Antonio, Tex. on Mar. 2-4 2017, 2015. Union Co. Extension Agent Andrew Baucom was the soybean agent for Ashcraft’s entry. Baucom will receive one expense-paid trip to Commodity Classic for his role in producing the winning yield. 

Russell Hedrick of Catawba Co. was runner-up with a yield of 86.5 bushels per acre. The Catawba Co. soybean agent assisting with production was Andrew Scruggs.  

Manning Farm, Inc. of Washington Co. received the third place award with a yield of 84.1 bushels per acre. The soybean agent is Anna-Beth Williams.  

Area winners in the yield contest were:
(Northern Piedmont) –Matthews Family Farm of Davie Co., 83.7 bushels per acre; James Boggs was the agent.  
(Northern Coastal Plain) – Sanderson Farming of Wayne Co., 71.4 bushels per acre; Tyler Whalely was the agent. 
(Southern Coastal Plain) – Grant Andrews of Richmond Co., 70.2 bushels per acre; Paige Burns was the agent. 

The area yield winners each received a plaque and a $50 cash award from the North Carolina Soybean Producers Association.

All soybean growers producing a yield of 70 bushels or more per acre were recognized with a certificate by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. The contest is based on yield from a measured and verified three-acre plot. The state record entry of 92.9 bushels per acre was set in 2006 by Phil and Mike McLain of Iredell County.