The contest site for the 2009 National Husking Contest has been relocated. Due to late planting and lack of rain we are forced to relocate the contest site 15 miles northwest of the Huntington site. The new site is 2 miles east of the town of North Manchester on state rout 114. The motels and banquet will remain in Huntington for there are no accommodations in North Manchester.

The New site is on the farm of the late Arden and Ester Shaffer. We have had two state contests at this location and it has suited us very well. There will be ample parking and the corn looks very good as of August 17. Directions to the farm from Huntington is take state road 5 north out of Huntington to state route 114, make a left turn head west approx. 12 miles on state route 114 and farm will be on right or north side of the road. We hope to have several signs posted along the way.

The weather in Indiana has been erratic in every since of the word. We started out very wet and plantings were delayed until mid may. Many areas of southern Indiana were not able to get a crop in at all. Central and northern Indiana has had enough rain to keep crops alive but little to late to make 200 bu corn in most areas, but the beans could make it if we get rains soon. Moisture aside we seen one of the coolest June and July on record. We seen nights in the low 50's and day temps were only in the mid 70's for most of the months.

We will run the national boys and girl's youth and men and women 75+ on Saturday afternoon. Registration for nationals will start Saturday around noon, and the classes husking on Saturday can register up until their class is called. The rest of the classes can pre register for Sunday. We hope to wrap up the Indiana state by 2:00 and start the national classes soon after. The national and rules committee meetings will take place as of now at the main tent at the husking site at 4:00 for rules committee and 4:30 for the national meeting. Banquet starts at 6:30 back in Huntington.

Registration starts at 8:00 and start husking by 8:30. We will start with men's and women's 21-49, men and women's senior, and women and men's open.

We will not have a shot gun starts. Classes will be started and stopped by stop watches. We hope that this will speed up the classes.