Dust and sweat, cold and heat, cuts and punctures from dead corn stalks all punctuated long days of corn harvesting in the early 20^th century. Thanks to modern machinery and farming practices, those hard days are literally in the past…. except when an old-fashioned competition takes place. This year marks 100 years in Iowa of a yearly corn husking competition- a race to measure how much clean corn one person can harvest in a set amount of time.

It wasn’t that long ago that our grandparents walked the corn fields alongside a horse-drawn wagon instead of riding in a combine. Outside of the Amish culture, we don't see many teams in the corn fields. Teams that were provided for the wagons were made of draft type (heavy) equines. There were draft mule teams as well as horse breeds such as Shires, Belgians, Percherons, Brabants, and Haflingers. The horse-drawn wagon was an integral part of the corn husking competition.

Harvesting technique is definitely important. The harvester needs to split and pull back the outer husks surrounding the ear of corn, then grasp and twist the ear to remove it from the stalk. If done well, the husks will remain behind as the ear of corn takes flight from the harvester’s hands and makes its way to the wagon. One ear is harvested. The harvester repeats the process as the wagon rolls on down the row.

The tools for splitting the husks haven’t really changed, some are old and worn leather is replaced with new. Getting in a rhythm seems to be part of the process. Knowing the distance to your wagon is important. The tall board on one side was called a ‘bang board’. This allows the harvester to throw above the side and reduces the risk of completely clearing the wagon. Corn left on the ground is lost harvest- lost feed, lost income. Competitors are penalized for any corn left on the stalk or ground.

Hopefully, no one was penalized for the kernel that ended up in my shoes.

The morning starts early. While the pickers were making their way to the fields, the teams were being groomed, tacked and hitched to wagons. Meetings were held for helpers and drivers and spectators began to roll in. 

The organization of the National event was impressive. Teams worked their way through a park to the field and were directed to a lane.

And then, the corn husking competition began.

They came in all ages. The Golden Agers class was for age 75+ and, boy, could they pick corn! Many young folk were also getting their start in a historic hobby. 

After picking for a set time limit, the competitor would crawl into the wagon with their harvest. 

They would then scoop out their load into barrels to be measured and judged. 

Competitors came from all over the US. Some were trying corn husking for the first time, some were serious competitors with companions counting ears picked by the minute to help them rate their speed. It was refreshing to see so many people gather together for a physically taxing competition and for a time it was as if we'd stepped back 100 years. People were working together to get a job done with minimal technology. The sun was shining, stories were being told, experiences were being shared and the work went on.

I highly recommend an outing to a corn husking competition or demonstration. At this time Indian Creek Historical Museum in Emerson, IA, has been hosting the Iowa competition yearly and is expected to host again next year. Go, visit with competitors and maybe try your hand at corn husking in the practice rows. Experience the corn harvest the way your grandparents did! Enjoy!

To see more from this event on this website, go to 2024 IA/National Corn Husking under the events link above.