QUEENSTOWN, Md. — William F. Willard Farm LLC has been recognized by the National Wheat Foundation as the winner of the 2021 Soft Red Winter Wheat Yield Contest. The National Wheat Foundation had 387 growers register for the yield contest. Mr. Willard had a dryland yield of 141.41 bushels per acre in Montgomery County, Maryland with a Pioneer variety.
The Willard Family primarily farms across Montgomery County. Mr. Scot Poffenberger is the farm manager and he said the bin busting yield was due to the great wheat weather his region saw. “Planting weather was beautiful, the winter was mild, early spring was wet, and then it dried out a few weeks before harvest.”
To increase yield, Scot tried a few new things. First, they applied a micronutrient in the fall. In the spring, a foliar fertilizer was applied during the Feekes 6-7 stage. Poffenberger believes these applications really benefited the crop’s yield along with the timely weather.
Congratulations to the Willard Farm on this huge success! As a National winner, William will rceive a trip to the Commodity Classic held in March of 2022. Read more about the contest and find the results on our website at marylandgrain.org.
The Maryland Grain Producers Association is a membership organization of grain producers across the state. The organization’s major role is to act as a voice for grain farmers, mostly through its legislative activities both at the state and federal level. Members stay informed through newsletter, social media, and the Maryland Commodity classic. Learn more about the association at marylandgrain.org.
–Jenell Eck, Maryland Grain Producers Association