Across the High Plains, where the borders of Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico meet, the wind is persistent and soils are often thirsty. But for Kenny Rathjen and his 13-year-old son, Rylan, these challenging conditions aren’t a deterrent — they are a proving ground.
For the Rathjen family, farming isn’t just about making a good crop; it’s about pushing the biological limits of the seed on yield. This year, the family’s trophy case got a lot heavier, proving their unique blend of agronomy, hands-on management and family teamwork is a winning formula.
Carving Out a Path to the Winner’s Circle
The Rathjen story is rooted in deep family ties.
“I grew up on our family farm in South Dakota, and my dad, Richard, still farms there,” Kenny says. “I owe everything to my father for teaching me so I could teach Rylan a good work ethic and farming practices.”
“I owe everything to my father for teaching me so I could teach Rylan a good work ethic and farming practices.”
Kenny and his wife, Michelle, moved to Dalhart, Texas, in 1999 and started farming with his uncle. Since that move, the agricultural landscape around Dalhart has transformed. The rise of huge dairy operations — some exceeding 40,000 cows — has shifted much of the regional farming focus toward producing corn silage.
While the Rathjens have tapped into that opportunity, they have also carved out acreage to test the limits of grain production. Over the past decade, they have become familiar faces in state and national yield contests for corn and grain sorghum – entering the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) yield contest eight times, Kenny says, and placing at the state or national level six of those times. They’ve also entered the National Sorghum Producers yield contest three times.
This past season was a banner year for the family: Kenny secured a first-place state finish in Oklahoma, Richard took third in the nation in the no-till corn category and Rylan made his national debut as well. Kenny credits his seed salesman, Parker Noel, for helping him select high-yielding hybrids that led to their wins.
400-Bushel Debut for the Next Generation
When Rylan’s parents decided it was time for him to put his name on a contest entry last season, the result was 400.55 bushels on a 50-acre circle that took home third place in the conventional irrigated class of the NCGA National Corn Yield Contest. The field, known as Circle 88, is equipped with high-capacity pivot irrigation.
“It got 8 gallons per acre of water,” Kenny says. “That’s big water where we come from. It’s the first time we’ve grown 400-bushel corn there.”
Rylan’s role was hands-on. He spent the season cleaning sprinkler nozzles and shredding residue around the massive circles. Though only 13, his sights are set firmly on the future.
“I really want to farm,” he says.
Bin Buster Philosophy: Treat Sorghum Like Corn
While corn yields grab the most headlines, Kenny’s true obsession might be grain sorghum (milo). In a region where milo is often relegated to the “dryland and hope” category, Kenny treats it like a premium grain.
“When I plant milo, I’m going for a big yield. I want to get the world record, so I treat it like my corn. I don’t hold back,” he says.
That commitment led to Kenny and his farming partner Monte Simerly taking home the Bin Buster award in the 2024 National Sorghum Producers Yield Contest. They won first place with a Pioneer-brand hybrid yielding 240.01 bu. per acre.
Kenny’s sorghum recipe for high yields is intense, involving nitrogen rates that might raise the eyebrows of some other sorghum growers.
“I throw everything at milo. I use over 1 lb. of nitrogen per bushel that I want to get,” he says. “I’m putting 250 lb. to 280 lb. of nitrogen out there per acre.”
His multi-step fertility program for grain sorghum can include:
- Manure Base. 12 tons of manure (equating to 100 lb. of N plus microbial benefits). He then rips the ground and runs a “lap” of water to settle the soil.
- Anhydrous/Starter. A dual-placement rig applying 100 lb. of anhydrous ammonia with 12 gallons of 10-34-0.
- In-Season Fertigation. 15 gallons of 28-0-0-5 through the back of the planter, with the remainder of the nearly 300-lb. N run through the pivot as the crop progresses.
Burn Effect: Strategic Stress for Maximum Tillering
One of the more unique yield-building techniques Kenny uses in grain sorghum involves a calculated “dinging” of the crop to encourage tillering. Drawing on old-school wisdom and advice from his agronomist, Brian Taylor, Kenny uses herbicide applications to strategically stress the plants.
“We spray for weeds in a way that helps the milo tiller out, but you have to be very careful,” Kenny says. “It’ll look dead for a week. But if you leave the water off and don’t get any rain, and let that just settle down, and then pour the water to it after a week, you’ll be amazed at how much the crop tillers out.”
It’s a high-stakes decision that mimics the burning of wheat practiced by previous generations of farmers in the region.
“My agronomist said the old guys used to burn their wheat, and it would tiller out and yield better. That’s what we’re trying to do,” he notes.
Unlocking Potential Through Soil Health and Humic Acid
The Rathjens are active students of their crops and of practices used by other high-yield growers. At the 2025 Commodity Classic, Kenny sat on a stage with corn world record holders Dave Hula and Alex Harrell. A conversation with the two encouraged the Rathjens to make an addition to their corn crop.
“I had started dabbling with humic acid, but I wasn’t putting much down,” Kenny recalls. “Alex goes, ‘How much are you putting down?’ I said 4 lb. to 5 lb. to the acre. He goes, ‘Dave is putting 300 to 400 lb. down.’”
Kenny didn’t jump his use all the way up to 400 lb. immediately, but he did increase it up to 150 lb. to 200 lb. on his corn acres last year. He attributes a significant portion of his and Rylan’s yield success last year to this soil-health addition, which helps corn plants better utilize synthetic fertilizer.
The Business of Bushels: Family Teamwork and ROI
While Kenny and Rylan are the faces of the family’s crop yield successes, Michelle is the engine behind the spreadsheets. She balances a full-time job with the massive task of managing the farm’s financial records.
“That’s my main thing on the farm — I do all the bookwork,” Michelle says.
She also ensures Rylan’s education remains as much of a priority as his focus on bushels.
“We told him even though he wants to come back to the farm, he needs at least a two-year degree, whether it’s vo-tech, ag business or ag science,” Michelle says.
Critics of yield contests often point to the cost of inputs and time required as reasons to not participate in them. Kenny counters that with a different and practical perspective on how to join in the fun of the contests.
First, he treats his corn and grain sorghum with contest-level management intensity required to pay the family’s bills.
“I want my average yields to be as good as I can do and then have some sweet spots in the field I can do the contests with,” he says. “The average yield on that circle last year where I made 237-bushel [sorghum] averaged 195 bushels. Every acre of our 1,750 acres of corn averaged over 300 bushels last year.”
Facing 2026 With Optimism
The 2026 growing season is underway, and the Rathjens, like many farmers in the region, are facing extreme drought conditions.
“We didn’t catch any moisture all winter,” Kenny says.
He also feels the pinch of the tough economic environment all grain producers are enduring. But his optimism remains. Between spreading manure, running the anhydrous rigs and Rylan’s watchful eye on the irrigation pivots, he says the family is prepared to fight for every bushel.
“I’m an optimist,” Kenny says. “I truly believe it’ll all work out. I’d like to wish all the farmers the best of luck this growing season. It’s going to be a tough one,” he adds, “but hopefully, everything goes well for all of us.”
