>> Whether its rice or another crop, farmers like it when the weather cooperates and they're able to get their crop into and out of the ground fast and efficiently.

When that happens, it's a good bet they'll have a harvest to brag about.

That seems to be the case for one farmer that Rob Stewart met in Virginia.

He and his family have touched on a formula that's delivered prize winning results.

♪♪ >> We have some good dirt, it covers up a lot of mistakes that I make or we make.

So we have had some really good successes with corn.

>> You might say David Hula is a master of understatement...and maybe a bit too modest.

After all, when you've been a top-producing corn grower in America year after year after year, it's probably not just luck or divine providence!

>> The National Corn Growers Association, they have an annual contest, a yield contest.

We won overall, so we were blessed that we had the highest yield in the whole country.

>> In the U.S., the average yield is 150 bushels an acre.

David's corn yield in 2011 was 429 bushels, almost three times bigger, beating out more than 7,000 competitors from across the nation.

>> We try to start out with good genetics and then we just kind of spoon-feed the crop throughout the season, pay a lot of attention to the details, give it good plant health.

>> For four generations since the 1930's, the Hula family have been farming this rich land by the Saint James River, and not just corn.

>> We're also in the seed business.

We raise a lot of soybeans for a company that we part own and we have some public varieties that we raise.

And then we have some wheat, soft red winter wheat.

We still are one of the few that grow barley, and we're still one of the few that still grow oats around here.

>> Drought is a reality faced by all farmers and water conservation has become even more critical.

And conserving scarce water is why David has invested in this high-tech drip irrigation system.

Most of the pipes are beneath the surface.

The water is mixed with fertilizer going right to the roots.

And this high-tech gadget uses solar panels and satellites to check moisture levels as deep as five feet below the surface.

>> I can log in and, just like checking emails, I check how much moisture is in the ground.

We can also document whether we're doing right, wrong, or how we can fix some problems if we over water or under water.

>> After the harvest and the almost-yearly accolades, the Hulas still find they need to generate other revenue streams.

That's one reason they share their farm with city folks.

A giant corn maze each autumn, a farm museum, a collection of old farm signs and antique equipment including this seed cleaner.

A place to share the history of agriculture.

♪♪ >> Most people will say being the best at something usually means you have to love doing it.

The Hulas are quick to express that they feel the same affection, and gratitude for the land and for what all their hard work brings to those benefiting from their bounty.

>> The more we show our urban neighbors that we're not competing for anything they've got going on and that we're good stewards, that helps us.

We're out here and we're helping their lifestyle by giving them the safest, best food in the world, and we're trying to feed the globe.

♪♪ >> Take a guess on how many kernels you'll find on an ear of corn.

Any idea?

Well, one ear of corn will average 800 kernels arranged in 16 rows.

Corn is America's number one agricultural crop but it's grown everywhere around the world except for Antarctica.

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