Oscar Wilde is often quoted for saying, “Life imitates art,” but I beg to differ. At least in this one instance, “art imitates life.”
Yesterday I had the pleasure of playing “Mrs. Latham” in the Franklin County Players’ and the Franklin County Art Councils’ production of It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Based on Frank Capra’s classic movie, this radio play takes place on Christmas Eve in the 1940s as the idealistic George Bailey considers ending his life. Thanks to divine intervention – including an earthly visit from an angel named Clarence – Mr. Bailey comes to see how the world is a better place because he was born.
The action takes place in one act with four commercial interludes. And, yes, one of the commercials promotes Latham Seeds. I had the pleasure of serving as “the voice” of Latham Seeds, which really took me back in time.
It all started in 1947 when Willard Latham, my husband’s grandfather, founded Latham Seed Company and began producing seed oats for retail. As business grew and the times changed, oats gave way to soybeans and the company evolved from a retail business to a dealer organization.
The same values and principles on which Willard Latham founded the business more than six decades ago remain our guiding principles yet today: honesty, integrity and unsurpassed customer service. As I say in our 1940-esque radio commercial, “Latham believes in the power of rural America and the independent spirit of the American farmer… We sell only the highest quality corn, soybeans and alfalfa seed. Our seed experts will help you select just the right seed to fit your needs. Latham Seeds is located right here in Franklin County. We’re family owned and operated, so we understand what you need to be successful. Let the folks at Latham Seeds help you today!”
