Food & Family | | Latham Hi-Tech Seeds

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Latham’s “Locker Room Report” Returns to Cyclone Radio Network

September 9, 2023, marks the 70th meeting between the University of Iowa and Iowa State University football teams. In a state without a professional sports team, the Cy-Hawk game is the Super Bowl of Iowa. After all, bragging rights are at stake!

“The Cy-Hawk game brings fans of both teams together for a spirited game day atmosphere,” says John Latham, president, Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds. “It was great to see Iowa State win last year. Hopefully, the Cyclones can make it two in a row! Coach Matt Campbell has proven that he can take Iowa State to new heights, and I’m excited for another season of Cyclone football.”

Many young, talented players will get their first chance to play meaningful snaps at Iowa State.

“The quarterback is the most important position on the field,” John says. “Iowa State has two incredibly talented freshmen who will get their chance to prove themselves. Rocco Becht is a redshirt freshman from Tampa and JJ Kohl is a true freshman from Ankeny. Rocco is a mobile quarterback who can get outside the pocket and beat defenses. Measuring 6 feet 7 inches tall, JJ has a big arm and throws more traditional pocket passes. We’ll see which QB takes over for the rest of the season.”

John had so much fun golfing for charity in Hampton this summer with Cyclone football players. From left to right: Dimitri Stanley, Jaylin Noel and Rocco Becht. Dimitri and Jaylin are wide receivers and Rocco is a quarterback.

Creating a Winning Culture

Much like a college football coach is who nurturing a culture within his sports organization, a company’s owners and managers must nurture its culture. Culture transforms a company into a team. An organization’s culture sets expectations for how people behave and work together.

Coach Matt Campbell has brought a five-star culture to Cyclone football. We don’t need a roster filled with five-star recruits if we have players who believe in a five-star culture,” John says. “We’re working hard to create a 5-star culture at Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds. There are similarities in that both ISU and Latham compete against teams with more money, but we overcome the obstacles to win!”

John Latham taking with John Walters and Coach Campbell during a live broadcast of the Latham Locker Room Report.

Win or lose, you won’t want to miss the Latham Locker Room Report. This post-game radio broadcast includes exclusive interviews with Iowa State coaches and players. It airs on the Cyclone Radio Network.

Celebrating Cyclones Everywhere

Everyone wins at a tailgate, and no tailgate is complete without dessert. Today I’m sharing with you one of my family’s favorite recipes for Scotcharoos, which is about as “Iowa State” as one can get!

Scotcheroos honor two outstanding ISU alumni: George Washington Carver who performed extensive research on peanut products, and Mildred Day who invented Rice Krispie Treats®. FUN FACT: Iowa State honored Day’s memory during its VEISHEA celebration in April 2001 – and set a new world record – by creating a gigantic Rice Krispies Treat that weighed 2,480 pounds.

When you live in rural America, you can’t run uptown for gourmet ingredients. But you can make simple Rice Krispies treats look gourmet by using a heavy-duty cookie cutter to shape them into footballs before you cover them with chocolate.

shannonlatham

September 7, 2023

Desserts, Food & Family, General, Latham News, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

SOWING (MORE) SEEDS OF HOPE

Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds launched its “Sowing Seeds of Hope” campaign in 2022 — our 75th year of business — to raise $75,000 for the American Cancer Society over three years.

Thanks to Latham® dealers, customers and employees, we raised $25,000 toward that goal by July 1, 2023! We’re on track to raise $25,000 again this year. The silent auction at 2023 Latham Dealer Kickoff in Bloomington, Minnesota, brought in $3,675.

A special thanks goes to Craig and Lori Haaland for their generous donation of a Latham Seeds t-shirt quilt, which was hand-crafted by Lori. We appreciate Latham’s R&D Team for their generous purchase price of $1,200. This quilt will be presented to a Latham dealer who is a cancer survivor.

Craig and Lori Haaland with the Latham Seeds t-shirt quilt

Everyone knows someone who has been personally affected by cancer, and our family is no exception. We also know firsthand what a gift hope can be, when Bill Latham’s life was extended for nearly six years thanks to medical advancements and a stem cell transplant. Those years were invaluable time that allowed Bill to meet his youngest granddaughter and enjoy moments with his five grandchildren — while also passing down business advice to his sons.

As Blood Cancer Awareness Month gets underway in September, Latham Seeds announces its commitment to year two of raising funds for the American Cancer Society. Watch the video to learn more about “Sowing Seeds of Hope”.

Employees and friends of Latham Seeds are invited to join the company owners and team members in raising funds for the American Cancer Society.

You’re also invited to celebrate Blood Cancer Awareness Month at home by enjoying a healthy breakfast made with eggs, which are an inexpensive source of high-quality protein.

shannonlatham

August 24, 2023

Breads/Breakfast, Food & Family, General, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Latham Spouses and Guests Attend a Special Kind of ‘Boarding School’
If you’ve ever shared a charcuterie board, you know there are countless ways to prepare the meats, cheeses and garnishes. While there isn’t really a “right or wrong” way to serve a charcuterie board, there are some tips and tricks for creating a beautiful display. We treated spouses and guests at this year’s Dealer Kickoff to a special charcuterie workshop, hosted by a seasoned chef who revealed some of his “secrets of the board.”

Spouses and guests with Shannon Latham.

“You can’t really mess up a charcuterie board too much,” says Chef Eric Baker, who worked at the Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport hotel for 32 years. “But you have to start by knowing your audience. Who are you feeding? What’s it for? Know how many ingredients you need, or how many boards you want to make. Do this first, before you even touch a slice of salami.”

Chef Eric retired from his head chef role at the Hilton two years ago, but when the hotel invited him back to lead Latham’s special charcuterie event earlier this month, he gladly accepted. He began the workshop by introducing his favorite ingredients to build a charcuterie board with flavors that pair well together and that most guests will enjoy.

Chef Eric took our taste buds to a new level!

(Note: Chef Eric recommends the “3 3 3 3 rule” for the perfect charcuterie board – choose three meats; three cheeses; three starches and three accompaniments.)

Here are ingredient samples for a solid starting lineup:
- Cheeses – goat cheese, an aged cheddar, a favorite bleu cheese, parmesan reggiano and soft Brie
- Other soft cheeses – ricotta, Boursin, etc. in small ramekins
- Meats – salami (dry or hard), prosciutto and pepperoni
- Fresh fruit – cherries, apple slices, pear slices and various berries
- Dried fruit – dates, apricots, figs, etc.
- Crackers – mix between salted, seeded and toasted varieties
- Jams and Mustards – any variety (Chef Eric chose a balsamic jam and brown mustard for our workshop)
- Olives or Pickles – green or black olives; small pickles only
- Nuts – almonds, cashews and pistachios are all good choices
After showing our group how to place the cheese and meats on the board, Chef Eric introduced another ingredient: honeycomb. He chose small blocks of raw honeycomb for each charcuterie board – but few of us knew exactly what to do with it. Turns out, honeycomb is 100% edible and is packed with the freshest, smoothest golden honey! Simply slice a piece of honeycomb and spread it on a cracker, a piece of cheese or a slice of fruit and voila! Your charcuterie board has been elevated to next-level goodness. (Thank you, Chef Eric!)

Finally, a highlight of the workshop was learning how to make a “salami rose” to decorate the charcuterie boards. It only took between eight and 12 slices of salami or pepperoni and the rim of a wine glass to produce flowers that were almost (almost) too pretty to eat.

Of course, our group did eat – and we even took some of our specialties home, where we’ll know just how to create the perfect charcuterie board for our next entertaining event!
shannonlatham

August 17, 2023

Appetizers, Food & Family, General, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Farming and Freedom: The Best of Both Worlds

After raising four children and farming for four decades, Dennis and Holly Mulder are enjoying their newfound freedom.

Holly operated a flower shop on their farm from 1994 to 2012. Dennis became a Latham® dealer in 1995 and plans to transfer his dealership in 2023. Four years ago, the couple began heading south for a few weeks during the winter. Those weeks have turned into months as their sons, Randy and Jerry, have assumed the day-to-day farming responsibilities.

“We don’t miss scooping snow off the roof,” Dennis says with a smile. The Mulders spend their time on South Padre Island with Holly’s sister and her husband, as well as several couples from their hometown church who winter in the same area. Along with their sons, Dennis and Holly have two grown daughters, Becky and Kelly, and eight grandkids.

“We enjoy visits from our kids and grandchildren,” Holly says. “We play a lot of cards and go on bicycle rides.”

Mulders welcomed two more grandbabies in the past six months.

After spending a few months away during the winter, Dennis and Holly are happy to come home and watch their crops grow.

“We’ve always enjoyed working with Latham Seeds,” Dennis says. “We started planting Latham in the 1970s when 50-bushel soybeans were a big deal! I was doing some custom farming for a guy and his beans were the best. I found out they were Latham, so I started buying some. When the local elevator stopped carrying Latham®, I became a dealer.”

The Mulders have always planted 100% Latham brand soybeans for their strong performance, pointing to top-notch resistance against disease.

“One of my customers planted Latham beside a competitor in a field that had White Mold. The competitor’s variety went 27 bushels per acre and Latham went 60. That product sold a few beans for me! They were an early bean that yielded good.”

Jerry, adds: “We always hear about the quality of Latham beans when our customers open the bag.”

After they pull their trailer home from Texas, the Mulder family gets ready for the summer camping season. Sometimes they camp just four miles away, but it provides a family getaway while allowing their grandkids to participate in extracurricular activities.

This tried-and-true recipe has been in the Mulder family for generations and has become Holly’s go-to fruit recipe.

shannonlatham

August 4, 2023

Desserts, Food & Family, General, Recipes, Salads
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

From Cow to Cone, Hightail Dairy Delivers Fresh Ice Cream

“Let’s hightail it out of here!”

It’s a phrase we often use without giving much thought to its origin. From the time Natalie Eick Paino (pronounced “Ike Pain-o”) started toddling around her family’s Northeast Iowa dairy farm, she has moved full speed ahead.

Natalie is pictured her with her favorite cow, Life. Life was a 4-H project with an interesting birthing story.
Also pictured is Natalie’s husband, Marquise Paino, and her parents, Terry and Kelly Eick.

Natalie earned 30 college credits as a high school student, so she graduated from Iowa State University in 2.5 years. She took classes in Agricultural Entrepreneurship while earning a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business. In 2019, she was one of six members selected to participate in the Rural Entrepreneurship Academy where she job shadowed at both Hansen’s Farm Fresh Dairy in Hudson and Country View Dairy in Hawkeye. She learned about ice cream, yogurt, milk and cheese production in rural creameries.

“My favorite part of this process was getting to assist with the cheese-curd making and trying the finished product,” says Natalie, who lives in Plainfield, Iowa, with her husband, Marquise Paino. He works at Poet Bioprocessing in Shell Rock.

Although Natalie says she has always wanted to be involved with her family’s 55-Holstein dairy cow operation, she needed to find a way to generate additional revenue. Locally produced, value-added agriculture is where her interests lie.

Natalie started making and selling ice cream while she was still in college. Then she revised her business plan during the Covid-19 pandemic to become Hightail Delivery, under which the family direct sells dairy beef. She taught herself how to build a website through Wix and began taking online orders. Then she partnered with Yellow Table Farms and Hansen’s Dairy to expand her offerings to fresh milk, cheese curds, fresh produce and eggs.

In addition to offering weekly home delivery throughout Bremer and Chickasaw Counties, Natalie sells her Hightail ice cream wholesale to Parks & Rec throughout the region. Her sweet treats are served at many swimming pools and baseball field concession stands. She also attends special events and sets up “pop-up stores” at community celebrations and care centers. She sells pre-packaged, six-ounce cups, pints and half-gallons of unique ice cream flavors like Strawberry Cheesecake and Monster Cookie.

“Ultimately, I want to be able to use the milk from our dairy cows to make ice cream, cheese curds and other products,” Natalie says. She got one step closer to reaching her dream in June 2023 when an order she placed for a prefabricated milk manufacturing facility (shipping container) arrived. Natalie was able to purchase this facility with the help of a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Natalize is standing by the pasteurizer. On the wall is a chart recorder she uses to prove the milk was heated to the correct temperature to kill off harmful bacteria.

Now Natalie is wading through a myriad of state and federal rules and regulations to make on-farm manufacturing a reality. Until then, Natalie and her mom, Kelly, use the commercial kitchen at a nearby nursing home to prepare their homemade ice cream. Kelly makes all of the ice cream toppings herself.

As a fifth-generation dairy farmer, Natalie understands nothing worth attaining comes easily. After all, if it was easy, more people would do it! The family’s goal is to produce their first batches of ice cream in the new facility by the end of calendar year 2023.

Just like the cows high tail it out of the barn and into the pasture after being cooped up all winter, ice cream lovers hightail it to the farm or wherever homemade ice cream is sold. Today Natalie is sharing one of her family’s favorite recipes, which she says tastes better when enjoyed with a scoop (or two!) of vanilla ice cream.

shannonlatham

July 28, 2023

Desserts, Food & Family, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

From Iowa to Washington, Tom Latham’s Quiet Leadership Carries On

Husband. Father. Statesman. Businessman.

Regardless of the hat he is wearing, people in Tom Latham’s circle of influence will tell you he exudes humility and quiet strength.

“I never learn a thing when I’m talking,” Tom Latham told a The Des Moines Register reporter upon his retirement from U.S. Congress in 2015. “You learn things when you’re listening to other folks. And I think we should all maybe step back and listen to each other more.”

Tom’s understated style made him incredibly effective as a salesman for 19 years with Latham Seed Co. where he worked with his father, Willard, and his brothers Bill and Don. When the marketplace changed in the mid-1970s, the family-owned company moved from selling almost solely through farmer-cooperatives to a farmer-dealer network. Tom traveled throughout Iowa, literally selling bags of Latham® soybeans out of his trunk and signing up farmers as dealers.

Tom, Willard, Don and Bill Latham in front of processing plant.

He applied that roll-up-your-sleeves and get-to-work attitude from 1995 to 2015 as a U.S. Representative. He never faced a serious challenge as the 5th District’s congressman and proudly served for 20 years.

Congressman Latham spent months securing the Congressional Gold Medal – the nation’s highest civilian honor – for Norman Borlaug, an Iowan whose work in crop genetics is credited with saving one billion people from starvation. Congressman Latham also led efforts to modernize the largest federal animal disease center in the United States, located in Ames.

Tom credits his wife of 47 years, Kathy, for being the glue that held the household together while he was on the road with Latham Seeds or traveling to and from Washington, D.C. Kathy joined Tom in Washington and happily focused her support on his political career. She enjoyed spending time with Tom and everywhere their travels took them.

Tom and Kathy raised three children: Justin, Jennifer and Jill.

Kathy’s family loves her chocolate chip cookie recipe, so we’re sharing it with you today.

shannonlatham

July 14, 2023

Desserts, Food & Family, General, Latham News, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup Hits the Mark

Nestled along the Mississippi River in southwestern Wisconsin, Potosi is only a 30-minute drive from Dubuque, Iowa. The National Brewery Museum is interesting. The pub grub is some of the best, and the tidy farmsteads dotting the countryside make rural Grant County equally enchanting.

Andria White and her husband, Jim, make their home on one of these farms. After graduating from the University Wisconsin – Platteville, Andria started farming in partnership with her parents, Mike and Pam Fritz. She became a Latham® dealer in 2010 because it allowed her to put her degree to work by starting her own business while earning additional income to build her livestock herd.

“I enjoy working with an independent family-owned seed company that cares about product development, quality and placement,” Andria says.

After working as an electrician for 27 years, Jim left his own business to help with the couple’s growing livestock enterprises and three children. A&J White Cattle Company raises and sells both registered Red and Black Angus. Andria’s uncle owns the Potosi Brewery’s Production Facility down the road from the Brew Pub and Museum — a side perk for their livestock operation because their cattle rations include spent brewers grains.

When they can get away from the farm, Andria and her father enjoy competing in Cowboy Mounted Shooting.

“My dad and I watched a friend compete in cowboy mounted shooting,” Andria says. “It was leather, guns and horses. It was so exciting – and we were hooked!”

Andria and Mike attended a mounted shooting clinic in 2012. Now they’re members of the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association® – the nation’s fastest growing equestrian sport. Mounted contestants compete in this timed event using two, 45 caliber single-action revolvers loaded with five rounds of specially prepared blank ammunition.

“It’s a sport that my dad and I both enjoy,” Andria says. “We compete in different divisions, so we’re there to cheer on one another and share tips. Everyone starts at Level 1. There are also divisions for kids under 18 and seniors over age 50. You must win against so many people in your level before you can advance.”

Although Andria and her father are avid hunters (and her dad used to be on a trap shooting team), she says Cowboy Mounted Shooting is completely different from anything they had experienced. They’ve learned the importance of an easy hammer and the fastest trigger, as well as the value of a good horse.

“Horses that can run fastest on a straightaway aren’t always the best for Cowboy Mounted Shooting because of the turns required,” says Andria, adding that she is blessed to have a Quarter Horse mare that “turns on a dime.” Andria and her mare, Holly, won the buckle for Level 3 at the 2023 National Mounted Cowboy Shooting competition in Nebraska. With enough wins under her belt now, Andria moved into the Level 4 Ladies division.

Whether she has been riding horses or pulling calves, a hearty bowl of Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup hits the target every time. Add a side salad with homemade beer bread, and you have a complete meal!

bonnie-harris

July 7, 2023

Food & Family, Soups
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Agribusiness Review – Latham Top 10

We usually don’t like to brag, but this deserves a quick pat on our backs: The Agribusiness Review has recognized Latham Seeds as one of the Top 10 seed companies in 2023 for being on the forefront of providing seed solutions and positively impacting the industry. (And now we’ll get back to work.) Check it out!

Webspec Admin

June 30, 2023

Food & Family, Latham News
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Latham® Seeds Welcomes Brad Leckrone

As a father of seven and grandfather of four, Brad Leckrone is happily busy with family at home. While partnering with Latham Seeds for the past eight years as an outside IT account manager, Brad says he felt like he was working with family, too.

“I always found my interactions with Latham to be pleasant and professional,” Brad says. “I appreciate the way Latham Seeds conducts itself, and the Latham family has a good reputation. When the opportunity arose to join the team, I felt it would be a great move.”

Brad is now a Seed Account Manager (SAM) working from Alexander, but his IT background and knowledge of Latham’s technology needs already have been put to good use within the company. In his new role with Latham, Brad says he is most looking forward to continuing to help people — dealers, customers and colleagues alike.

“I really enjoy helping people,” he says. “I’m here to help.”

Brad and his wife, Miriam, live on a small farm in North Central Iowa, where they cash rent the tillable ground and have a few cows, horses, chickens and “the regular assortment of dogs and cats.” As a family, they enjoy target shooting, horseback riding and watching their daughter compete in horse jumping shows. They also like to fish and spend time on the boat.

With much of his extended family hailing from Indiana, the Leckrones are sharing a Hoosier favorite recipe for Sugar Cream Pie. (Brad guarantees that Wicks Sugar Cream pies are the best!)
Baking The Perfect Wick’s Sugar Cream Pie | Del Buono’s Bakery (delbuonosbakery.com)

bonnie-harris

June 22, 2023

Desserts, Food & Family, General, Latham News
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Proud to be 100% Latham

Ramon Kuntz’s introduction to Latham Seeds came as a young graduate of Iowa State University, when he went to work for a Latham® dealer named Gene Cole in Grafton, Iowa. Ramon started in sales, familiarized himself with Latham’s lineup and learned how the products compared to others that his boss was selling at the time.

Years later when asked if he’d be interested in taking on a Latham® dealership of his own. Ramon says he was quick to answer: “I went back to the farm and did it.”

Today, Ramon says he’s proud to be “100% Latham” for more than a decade. He’s a fourth-generation farmer in Grafton, continuing to work with his parents and one cousin. Ramon’s dad runs the combine in the fall; his mom runs the grain cart. Ramon and his wife, Sara, have two boys: Raiden and Brantly. Ramon has been thrilled to watch his boys run the tractor by themselves for the first time.

“They can run about anything,” Ramon says of his boys. “It is good to see them going solo in the tractor.”

Ramon’s loyalty to Latham Seeds stems from years of proven product performance and family-owned customer service. When he started experimenting with moving to more conventional corn, Ramon says Latham supported him with product suggestions that fit well in his family’s operation.

“Latham is a regional company that selects hybrids and varieties that fit my area,” he says. “That’s important to my business.”

Personalized service has been important to Ramon’s success, too. A self-proclaimed “old-school” farmer, Ramon says he enjoys working with an independent company with leaders who know him by name. He calls it a “charm” that larger seed brands don’t understand.

“I like working with family-owned companies where I can walk straight up to the top executives if I have a question,” Ramon says. “They’ll not only answer me, they’ll know me. That’s what I get with the Lathams.”

The Kuntzes have celebrated Grafton-area turkey farmers for decades. This is how his family makes a turkey — because, as Ramon says, “If you use an oven, you are ruining a good turkey!”

shannonlatham

June 8, 2023

Food & Family, General, Poultry, Recipes