Three Dubois County Farmers Earn National Honors in 2025 Corn Yield Contest

Kevin, Rhylan, and Shawn Kalb of Dubois County were named national award winners in the 2025 National Corn Growers Association National Corn Yield Contest, posting yields that cleared 400 bushels per acre across two separate competition classes.

Kevin led the family's showing with 425.8 bushels per acre in the Conventional Non-Irrigated Class. Rhylan followed at 425.3 bushels per acre in the No-Till Non-Irrigated Class, and Shawn recorded 410.3 bushels per acre, also in the No-Till Non-Irrigated Class. All three grew DEKALB DKC68-35RIB Brand Blend.

The Kalbs were part of a strong national performance by DEKALB growers across the contest. Farmers who planted DEKALB corn secured 16 of 27 national awards, the most of any single brand in the competition. DEKALB growers also claimed 248 state-level honors, including 98 first-place finishes, and 152 DEKALB entries topped the 300-bushel-per-acre mark nationally and at the state level.

"We congratulate Kevin, Rhylan, and Shawn for delivering exceptional results this season," said Dipal Chaudhari, brand lead for DEKALB. "We're grateful for the confidence farmers place in DEKALB and proud to support their success year after year."

To put the Kalbs' numbers in perspective: the national average corn yield in recent years has hovered around 175 to 180 bushels per acre, making their 400-plus figures more than double typical farm production. Achieving those numbers in non-irrigated conditions, where growers rely entirely on rainfall rather than supplemental water systems, makes the results more notable still.

For Dubois County, a county with deep roots in Indiana agriculture, the recognition adds another chapter to a farming tradition that extends well beyond the county's better-known contributions in poultry and manufacturing.