MUSCATINE, Iowa — As farmers throughout the region finish harvesting bushels of corn and soybeans, Muscatine residents Lois and Ken Irwin are smiling over their “big” harvest.

The couple planted seven imported corn seeds included with their spring issue of Our Iowa magazine and were delighted with the tall cornstalks they yielded.

Lois said the seeds were imported from Mexico and Brazil by Pioneer Hybrid and Our Iowa editors challenged readers to plant them and see who could grow the tallest corn.

The Irwins planted their seeds around Memorial Day and had 14-foot tall stalks by Sept. 1.

Corn plants in Iowa grow to an average height of 8 feet under good growing conditions, according to www.Iowa Corn.com.

Our Iowa will give the person with the tallest corn two gift certificates worth $200 each for beef and pork products. The winner will also receive a $100 certificate

for gas.

The Irwins didn’t enter the contest though. They figured other Our Iowa readers passed them up in mid-summer. Some sent letters and photos to the magazine, reporting on plants that were already 17-feet tall.

Ken said representatives for the Edward Jones Co. in Iowa sponsored the contest and were in charge of going to people’s homes and measuring their corn stalks for the contest.

Only Iowans could enter.

“Some people wrote and said they were putting Coca-Cola, beer and Miracle-Gro on them,” said Lois.

The seed doesn’t produce the soft kernels people enjoy eating, said Lois, and is probably better suited to feed livestock or make corn products.

But the couple said it was fun to see the results. They are harvesting the seed and sharing it with their friends who want to try and grow tall corn next year.

“This is just one of those unique things we wanted to try,” said Lois.