Over seventy seven years ago there were 80 minute contests to determine who was the best person at picking corn by hand. Today the National Cornhusking Association sponsors a contest the third weekend in October to determine who is the best . There are ten classes that are from 10 to 30 minutes long that people can participate in. There are nine states that are members of the National Cornhusking Association, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, South Dakota and Nebraska.

On September 15, 2018 Mitchel Burns hung up his hook. He had come to the end of his row. He had picked a record load with no deductions for gleanings or husks. He died from injuries sustained after stopping to help a farmer in trouble along a road. He had earned six National titles during his cornhusking career. In the Men's 21-49 class he won in 1992 and 1993. In the Men's 50 and up class he won in 2008 and 2010. In the Men's Open Class he won in 2006 and 2015. He had written two books about cornhusking, The National, cornhusking history from 1970 through 1999 and The Cornhusking Tradition, The National from 2000 through 2015.