Competition tense in tallcorn contest
By Russ Oechslin, Journal correspondent | Posted: Saturday, July 30, 2005
Steve Ruhs helps Sioux Rapids barber Don Yungbluth measure the size of his family's entries in this weekend's Tall Corn contest that is a part of Sioux Rapids' sesquicentennial celebration. (Photo by Russ Oechslin)
SIOUX RAPIDS, Iowa -- The competition for Sioux Rapids' sesquicentennial Tall Corn contest lasted right up to the noon whistle Friday.
Steve Ruhs, who lives four miles northeast of town, brought several of his dozen entries just after 11:30 a.m. "I thought I had it last year. Then, at the last minute, two others showed up just before noon and both of them beat me."
Last year's winners were close, with Brian Rix's 12-foot 1.5-inch stalk just one inch taller than Conne Raglen's second-place finisher. Ruhs' was miniscule by comparison at 11 feet, 10.5 inches.
Ruhs says he usually waits until the last hour to enter. "If you bring your entries in too early, then everyone knows what they have to look for in their field to win," he said.
Don Yungbluth, a Royal, Iowa, native who bought the barbershop in Sioux Rapids 40 years ago has judged the contest for the last five years. No one knows when it started.
"My mother won once when I was a little kid -- and I'm 47 now," Ruhs explained Friday.
But the town barber thinks it goes back further than that -- "to the '20s or '30s when they had to make their own entertainment," Yungbluth said.
Ruhs said he was disappointed not to take first place again this year. "Bill Rentsch definitely spanked me. Last year 12 feet won it. I thought I had it made at 12 feet, 6 inches this year. But he (Rentsch) was almost a foot taller at 13 feet, 4 inches. Ruhs' wife Cindy took the third place honors with an entry measured at 12 feet, 3 inches.
This year's crop will be on display next to Yungbluth's barbershop on the south side of Sioux Rapids' Main Street through Sunday. "It gives people something to look at and talk about," Ruhs admits.
There's also a "ringer" in the entries -- a short stalk Ruhs entered on behalf of his sister-in-law, Linda Hayenga. It's one he found in a bean field.
What makes corn tall? It could be water, Ruhs and Yungbluth agree.
"Arline Waggoner, who lives here in town, brought in an entry a few years back that she watered a lot. It didn't win. But it was tall."
A nearby spring may have made the difference for his winning entry, Rentsch said Friday afternoon.
But according to Ruhs, "sometimes it's just easier just to go out in the field."
And that's just what Bill Rentsch says he did. With the help of his brother-in-law, Scott Roe, he went out in the field and kept shaking stalks until he found the tallest.
The former farm editor of the Fort Dodge Messenger notes that the tallest "may not necessarily be good corn, because wind will blow it over. For some reason we found it right behind the grove."
Rentsch, who farms close to a section of ground in partnership with Clay Burkhart, says he has entered before, but never won.
Today's events include a flea market in the city park and a community breakfast in the fire station beginning at 8 a.m.
The antique tractor show and a slow pitch softball tournament begin at 9 a.m., with the sesquicentennial parade starting at 10 a.m. Lunch will be served by the Masons at the Legion hall.
In addition to the local historical museum being open this afternoon, there is a tour of homes and gardens and games in the city park.
Organizer Becky Lehr says in past years they've had between 50 and 100 canoeists participating in the river float scavenger hunt that starts at 1 p.m. on the Little Sioux River in Spencer and continues to Sioux Rapids.
"A touch of Broadway" is to be performed at the Historical Theatre at 2 p.m, with an alumni open house at the Legion from 2-4 p.m.
After a catered meal in the tent just off Main Street, from 5-7 p.m., a street dance will feature the music of The Rumbles from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m.
Steve Ruhs, who lives four miles northeast of town, brought several of his dozen entries just after 11:30 a.m. "I thought I had it last year. Then, at the last minute, two others showed up just before noon and both of them beat me."
Last year's winners were close, with Brian Rix's 12-foot 1.5-inch stalk just one inch taller than Conne Raglen's second-place finisher. Ruhs' was miniscule by comparison at 11 feet, 10.5 inches.
Ruhs says he usually waits until the last hour to enter. "If you bring your entries in too early, then everyone knows what they have to look for in their field to win," he said.
Don Yungbluth, a Royal, Iowa, native who bought the barbershop in Sioux Rapids 40 years ago has judged the contest for the last five years. No one knows when it started.
"My mother won once when I was a little kid -- and I'm 47 now," Ruhs explained Friday.
But the town barber thinks it goes back further than that -- "to the '20s or '30s when they had to make their own entertainment," Yungbluth said.
Ruhs said he was disappointed not to take first place again this year. "Bill Rentsch definitely spanked me. Last year 12 feet won it. I thought I had it made at 12 feet, 6 inches this year. But he (Rentsch) was almost a foot taller at 13 feet, 4 inches. Ruhs' wife Cindy took the third place honors with an entry measured at 12 feet, 3 inches.
This year's crop will be on display next to Yungbluth's barbershop on the south side of Sioux Rapids' Main Street through Sunday. "It gives people something to look at and talk about," Ruhs admits.
There's also a "ringer" in the entries -- a short stalk Ruhs entered on behalf of his sister-in-law, Linda Hayenga. It's one he found in a bean field.
What makes corn tall? It could be water, Ruhs and Yungbluth agree.
"Arline Waggoner, who lives here in town, brought in an entry a few years back that she watered a lot. It didn't win. But it was tall."
A nearby spring may have made the difference for his winning entry, Rentsch said Friday afternoon.
But according to Ruhs, "sometimes it's just easier just to go out in the field."
And that's just what Bill Rentsch says he did. With the help of his brother-in-law, Scott Roe, he went out in the field and kept shaking stalks until he found the tallest.
The former farm editor of the Fort Dodge Messenger notes that the tallest "may not necessarily be good corn, because wind will blow it over. For some reason we found it right behind the grove."
Rentsch, who farms close to a section of ground in partnership with Clay Burkhart, says he has entered before, but never won.
Today's events include a flea market in the city park and a community breakfast in the fire station beginning at 8 a.m.
The antique tractor show and a slow pitch softball tournament begin at 9 a.m., with the sesquicentennial parade starting at 10 a.m. Lunch will be served by the Masons at the Legion hall.
In addition to the local historical museum being open this afternoon, there is a tour of homes and gardens and games in the city park.
Organizer Becky Lehr says in past years they've had between 50 and 100 canoeists participating in the river float scavenger hunt that starts at 1 p.m. on the Little Sioux River in Spencer and continues to Sioux Rapids.
"A touch of Broadway" is to be performed at the Historical Theatre at 2 p.m, with an alumni open house at the Legion from 2-4 p.m.
After a catered meal in the tent just off Main Street, from 5-7 p.m., a street dance will feature the music of The Rumbles from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m.
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