History
The Legacy of Latham Seeds
From Our Family Company to Your Family Farm
Latham Seeds was founded in 1947 in Alexander, Iowa, by Willard Latham and his wife, Evelyn. Willard was a farmer and an innovator. He retrofitted a piece of equipment that helped clean and preserve oats against disease. Word spread to farmers in the area, and Latham Seeds was born.
Meanwhile, Evelyn ran the “office” from their kitchen. She made numerous trips daily from the house to the outbuildings whenever Willard needed to take a phone call. She was literally the chief cook and bottle washer. Plus, she was the busy mom of four boys under the age of seven with one on the way.
Growing Business, Growing Product Lineup
Latham Seeds began by offering certified seed oats and later transitioned into soybean production. Three of Willard’s sons joined the business in the 1960s-70s, and they added a dealer sales component to the company’s production efforts. The third generation of Lathams added hybrid corn and Hi‑Tech forage to the product lineup, providing farmers with even more choices for their fields.
75 Years Later, Our Foundation is the Same
Today we continue to build our business on the foundation Willard provided with a commitment to personal service, tailored solutions and the same spirit of families helping families.
Willard and Evelyn’s family home has been converted into company headquarters, and the former family room serves as the office lobby today. Business meetings have transitioned from the kitchen table to the conference room. Our focus, however, remains on meeting customers’ needs with the most superior varieties of soybean seed, hybrid seed corn and alfalfa seed.
We’re honored to have served farmers for 75 years with the latest seed genetics, highest quality products and hometown service.
We Look Forward to Partnering with Farmers for the Next 75 Years and Beyond.
1947
Willard Latham starts the seed business by cleaning oats for area farmers.
1949
Latham begins producing and selling oat seed, launching the retail seed business.
1950s –
1960s
Transitioned from oat seed to soybean seed.
1951
The seed plant is built from the farm grainery.
1966 –
1976
Willard’s sons Bill, Don and Tom join the seed business after college.
1968
Willard’s sons Bill, Don and Tom join the seed business after college.
1976
Dealer Network is formed.
1990
CystX soybean breeding begins, along with winter nursery work.
1996
Roundup Ready soybeans offered to farmers; biotech traits become as important as genetics.
2004
Willard’s grandsons John and Chris and John’s wife, Shannon, launch Latham Hybrids LLC, offering traited seed corn.
2009
Latham Seed Company and Latham Hi‑Tech Hybrids merge to become Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds.
TODAY
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds is operated by the family’s third generation, offering the highest-quality corn, soybeans and alfalfa across the Upper Midwest.