Bell and Bell Farms has been named the winner of the 2025 Franklin County Corn Yield Contest, achieving a yield of 226 bushels per acre. The farm was awarded a plaque and a $100 check for its performance in this year’s competition.
The annual contest is sponsored by the Franklin County Cooperative Extension and the Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation District Board. These organizations aim to promote agricultural best practices and recognize local farmers for their achievements.
In related educational news, data from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction show that among Franklin County school districts, only a minority of students met college readiness benchmarks in recent ACT assessments. For the 2022-23 school year, just under 15 percent of seniors demonstrated college readiness in science, while about 13 percent of juniors did so according to state data (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/). In reading, nearly 24 percent of seniors and around 22 percent of juniors reached college-ready scores (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/). Math readiness was lower, with approximately 13 percent of seniors and 11 percent of juniors meeting the standard (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/).
The Corn Yield Contest highlights ongoing efforts by local agencies to support agriculture as well as broader educational initiatives within Franklin County.
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