The 100th anniversary of the national cornhusking competition will take place Sunday, Oct. 16, at the Lewis farm, 14241 N. 1800th Road, Good Hope.
“We’re pretty excited about this. This is an event that harkens back to the old days before there was all this equipment that could help you pick. This was how people harvested the corn,” said Jock Hedblade, Executive Director of the Macomb Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Sunday’s event begins at 9 a.m. and will feature competitors from Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and a number of other states.
Participants will shuck, glean, and toss as much corn as they can into a wagon in a specified amount of time. Youngsters and seniors will pick for 10 minutes; the men’s open class lasts for 30 minutes; and all other competitors will pick for 20 minutes.
Hedblade said a good shucker can shuck, glean, and toss into a wagon perhaps 40 ears of corn per minute. “It’s pretty impressive,” he said.
He acknowledged the event sounded kind of corny to him at first but he came around quickly.
“Once I started talking to these guys that do it, and they’re so serious about it and how they handle it, I’m kind of fascinated about seeing how this whole thing works,” he said.
In addition to the competitions, the event will feature kids’ activities, antique tractors, food, and other attractions.
Also this weekend, Illinois’ state cornhusking competition will be held on Saturday, Oct. 15, also beginning at 9 a.m.
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