MOHALL – Local farmers showed that despite a very challenging 2020 season that brought a global pandemic, difficult spring weather and an early frost, they still were able to produce impressive yields and generously give back to their communities, according to Hefty Seed Company of Mohall.

Hefty Seed announced its 2020 Yield Contest results, which raised $61,848 in donations to local charitable causes. Donations were up $15,500 from last year. In the four years of the Hefty Yield Contest, farmers have donated a total of $162,608 to their local communities.

This past harvest, area farmers volunteered their best five acres of Hefty Brand Corn, Hefty Brand Soybeans or AgriPro Wheat to try for the highest yield. With sponsorship from BASF, Invigor Canola was added to the contest. Participating area farmers then donated the production dollars from the five acres of crop to local organizations.

The farmers with the highest yield in each division each received a free one-year lease on a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado from Drive Chevrolet in Bottineau.

“This contest has evolved way beyond what we thought it would when we first started.” said Charlie Adams, manager of Hefty in Mohall. “We are so proud of our customers and all they do for our communities during these times.”

The contest participants and the community organizations to which they donated are as follows:

– Matt and Ashley Leavitt, Mohall Volunteer Fire Department.

– Spencer Olson, Tolley Volunteer Fire Department.

– Peter and Bethany Gates, Mohall Ambulance.

– Robert and Katie Schaefer, Glenburn Volunteer Fire Department.

– Norm and Sarah Buynak and Nathaniel and Theresa Buynak, Mohall Lansford Sherwood Dollars for Scholars.

– Paul and Nadia Smetana, Guy and Wendy Solemsaas and Wayne and Chrisanne Drangsholt, Dakota Hope Clinic of Minot. The Solemsaases also donated to St. James Catholic Church in Sherwood and Drangsholts contributed to Child Evangelism Fellowship.

– Stacy Artz, Bottineau Winter Park/Annie’s House.

– Brady and Cara Witteman and Jacob and Jozey Keith, Prairie Grit Adaptive Sports and the Mohall Park Board splash pad project.

– Randy and Kharra Fyllesvold, The Antler Outlaws for a children’s outdoor play set for the Antler Memorial Park.

– Jim and Susan Gates, Peter and Bethany Gates, Andy and Meggan Gates and Jeff and Meg and Jerry and Deb Oberholtzer, Zion Lutheran Church of Mohall.

– Bob and Brenda Artz, Little Flower Catholic Church of Minot.

The top yield winners in each crop division were: Spencer Olson of Mohall (Hefty Soybeans), Robert Schaefer of Glenburn (Hefty Corn), Oberholtzer Farms of Mohall (AgriPro Wheat), and Stacy Artz of Antler (Invigor Canola).