In his presentations to farmers, Childs distributes brochures that contain his 20-point checklist for growing championship yields. Then, there's the other one cautioning it will take time to grow high-yielding corn. Childs' equipment is neither the newest nor the biggest, but he updates and maintains what he has. He relies on brains, not brawn, to produce profitable yields. Some dismiss him, saying his methods can't work on a large scale.
Some people say small farms are dead.
Childs crops 320 acres. Others say his costs are astounding. Consider the bottom line. Since setting a world record for dryland corn production in 1999, Childs has received plenty of criticism. One ag publication had the temerity to call him the ''King of Chemicals'' in its story.