National Barley Yield Contest debuts with a new U.S. record

By Sydney Anderson

Idaho Barley Commission

IDAHO FALLS – The inaugural year of the National Barley Yield Contest (NBYC) concluded with a new U.S. record, highlighting the productivity, innovation, and agronomic excellence of U. S. barley growers.

The 2025 contest marked the expansion of the program to a national scale, following a successful Idaho-based pilot year in 2024. While the contest opened nationally, all entries in the first year were submitted by Idaho growers. The 2025 results were announced this February.

Winning the national title for highest yield in the Irrigated Winter Barley division was Joey Wallace of Driscoll Brothers Partnership in Jerome County, who produced a new U.S. record of 256 bushels an acre with the variety Memento, surpassing his 2024 yield of 241 bushels an acre from the variety UT10201. Wallace’s yield exceeded the Jerome County average by 175 percent, establishing a new global benchmark for barley production.

The Irrigated Spring Barley Division was won by Dustin Miller of Mix Miller Farms, also in Jerome County, who harvested 239 bushels an acre of Molson Coors variety, M-179. Miller’s yield surpassed the county average by 182 percent, demonstrating exceptional agronomic management and precision technology.

Both Wallace and Miller are Scoular MVP growers. Scoular, which is a sponsor of the contest, covered entry fees for Barley MPV growers, an initiative that will continue for future program participants.

A standout feature of the contest remains the Percent Over County Average category, which ensures growers, regardless of region, have a fair opportunity to compete. Modeled after the National Wheat Yield Contest, this approach compares each grower’s yield to their county’s historical average, leveling the playing field much like a golf handicap system.

The diversity of climates, soils, and production systems across barley-growing regions makes this category essential, recognizing agronomic skill and adaptability—not just the highest absolute yield.

While no entries were submitted in the Spring Dryland Division, the category remains an important component of the contest as it expands nationally, offering dryland growers an opportunity to compete on management and efficiency.

Since Idaho growers were the only entrants in the inaugural national contest, Wallace and Miller earned both Idaho and national titles. Each winner received a paid trip for two to attend the Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas, in late February 2026.

Wallace credited his success to focusing on details within a grower’s control and learning from high performing areas of the field.

“Sometimes we spend a lot of time trying to fix the poorest parts of our fields,” Wallace said. “I think we should pay more attention to improving the best parts. I never dreamed a yield like that would come out of some areas of that field.”

Miller emphasized both community pride and innovation.

“We were excited and proud to bring a yield like that back to our community,” Miller said. “Having access to our state-of-the-art LEMKEN planter, played an important role in our success.”

The Idaho Barley Commission coordinates the contest and encourages growers nationwide to participate as the program continues to expand.

LEMKEN, a founding sponsor of the contest, will provide an all-expense paid trip to Germany in November 2027 to Agritechnica—the world's largest ag show—for the 2026 national winners in the Irrigated Winter Barley and Irrigated Spring Barley divisions.

The IBC encourages growers nationwide to participate as opportunities within the National Barley Yield Contest continue to grow. Beyond existing awards, contest coordinators are actively pursuing additional sponsorships to support expanded winner opportunities, including travel and educational experiences tailored to different contest divisions.

The National Barley Yield Contest is designed to be accessible. In addition to support from growers’ existing network of agronomists and field representatives, Brett Wilken of Scoular and I are available to help coordinate entries and answer questions throughout the contest.

Full 2025 NBYC results are now available on the IBC website. 2026 entry forms will soon be available at idahobarleycommission.org

For questions regarding entries or sponsorships, please contact me at Sydney.anderson@barley.idaho.gov or Wilken at bwilken@scoular.com.