Starnes sets out to raise tallest corn in Iowa

This was the headlines in the Bee Star. (local paper serving the Donnellson & West Point Area) Hey dad and Mary Ann, your copy is in the mail. ☺ To read the article you should be able to click the picture for a larger version.

Who would have ever thunk it, me raising corn! Well, I did and it turned out pretty darn good.
I was so excited to see that I was on the front page!! This is a small community paper but hey, it's fame right. (wink) The contest officially ends Oct. 1st so I'm excited to see the next issue of Our Iowa magazine to see the final results.

Now my next adventure will be taking a plane ride to capture Fall from the sky. Rick and I are going to charter a plane for a trip around the area. Hmmmm, that sounds like we are living the lifestyles of the rich and famous but it is actually very inexpensive. $35.00 for a 1/2 hour. What FUN!! I will be posting that soon. Come on leaves turn them pretty colors and rain, well, you need to stay away since you have the tendency to wash the leaves off the branches.

Corn is Down! 167"

Being a subscriber to the Our Iowa magazine I was excited to see that they were doing a corn contest. I planted my seeds in late May and began watering and watching. A month later in had only grew about 6". I was getting bummed out. I started dousing it with Miracle Gro and away it went. By the 4th of July it was well past knee high and by mid August I couldn't reach the top. I was really getting excited so I called Edward Jones since they are the offical measurers. I spoke with Rich Mueller from the Mount Pleasant office and he told me to call him back when it was 13". We went on vacation over Labor Day and came back to a taller stalk. I put in a call to Rich and he came out with his daughter Gabrianna to measure it. Once it was cut down I was astounded, it measured 13' 9" from roots to tassle. Rumor is that someone up North has 15' so I wil have to wait and see. The winner of the contest is awarded $200 worth of pork, $200 worth of beef and a $100 ethanol gas card. All I can do is sit back and wait.