New Richmond, WI: Farmers often deal with troublesome critters in their cornfields: gophers, raccoons, deer and the like. Scott Johnston faces a bigger challenge – bears!

“Sometimes when I’m combining off the road a ways, I’ll get into a patch where there’s an acre of downed corn. All the stalks are smashed down like you’d think a tornado went by,” Johnston said. “But it’s really bears. They lie there several days, eating stalk after stalk.”

Wisconsin has a thriving black bear population estimated at more than 28,000 bears. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the black bear’s primary range is located in the far northern third of the state, but an abundant population and suitable bear habitat has facilitated the southerly movement of bears. That means Johnston is probably not the only Wisconsin grower battling black bears in their fields.

Although the reasons are undoubtedly different, the bears appear to appreciate Golden Harvest® Corn hybrid G95D32 brand as much as Johnston does.

“None of my corn acres have gone down against any winds. In fact, the Golden Harvest Corn stalks seem thicker than any other around,” Johnston said. “They stood straight through harvest, except when the bears got to them!”

A grower for nearly three decades, this was Johnston’s fifth year planting Golden Harvest hybrids, and he plans on growing them again next year. “What really matters most to me is the germination rate,” he said. “I pay pretty close attention to ease of germination, and I feel the Golden Harvest Corn germination is really good. My yields are as good as or better than my neighbors.”

This year, Johnston yielded a field average of 206 bu/A across his corn acres, all of which were planted with Golden Harvest. Along with germination, stalk and yield satisfaction, Johnston said he continues to grow Golden Harvest because of the customer service behind the hybrids.

“My Golden Harvest Seed Advisor™ Doug Croes does a good job,” he said. “He’s easy to work with, and I respect how his family maximizes yield on their own acres.”

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