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!
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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)
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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!”
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Milestone Memories Mark This Family’s Legacy with Latham Seeds
It’s not often that couples celebrate golden anniversaries, especially with their seed companies. Loren and Marianne Payne of Belmond, Iowa, were Latham® seed growers for more than 50 years — and they clearly remember the day Willard Latham came by to ask if they’d be willing to raise some soybeans for him. They Paynes had been taking their oats to get cleaned at Willard’s company, and they knew each other well.
“We told him we would try that,” says Marianne, who farmed with her husband from 1962 until 2019. “Pretty soon every field was planted to Latham seed beans.”
Marianne says raising seed beans worked out well for them. They were able to combine the crop and deliver it directly to the Latham plant, with Marianne herself driving the tractor and wagons. Not having to worry about storage allowed the Paynes to save on seed costs — and their landlords also agreed to raise seed beans.
“We would plant different varieties, so our fields would mature at different times,” she says. “It went well for us.”
Now that they’ve retired and moved to town, Marianne says she misses running the tractors. Not only did she haul their grain, she ran their tillage equipment too. For many years, the Paynes raised cattle and hogs, and had a few sheep early on. Marianne was raised on a farm between Thornton and Alexander; Loran was on a farm three miles away. They went to different country schools and met through friends.
Loren and Marianne Payne, who have five grown children, were honored in 2019 for having served as Latham® seed growers for 51 years. It’s a milestone memory that they, and we, hold fondly.
Loren and Marianne Payne with John Latham Celebrating Over 50 Years of Service “Latham Seeds has always been easy to work with,” Marianne says. “I really enjoyed working with each generation. We never worried because we knew we could trust them.”
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Saluting 25 Years of The Freedom Rock With Ray “Bubba” Sorensen
Inspired by the movie “Saving Private Ryan,” Ray (Bubba) Sorensen II first honored veterans in 1999 by painting a patriotic mural on a 12-foot-high, 60-ton granite boulder located 10 miles north of Greenfield, Iowa. Memorial Day 2023 marks the 25th anniversary of The Freedom Rock®. Sorensen will spend this day as he always does – with his family, visiting travelers to The Rock and learning about veterans or their family members.
During the winter months Sorensen can be found painting indoor murals or outdoor murals in warm climates. He is also serving his third term in the Iowa House of Representatives. A group of veterans, who stopped at The Freedom Rock as it was being painted in 2006, asked Sorensen if they could sprinkle some ashes of their fellow Vietnam veterans at the base of The Freedom Rock. Rather than have the ashes blow away, the artist offered to sprinkle the ashes into paint. He then painted those ashes on a Huey helicopter.
Although Sorensen paints a new tribute every year, he does not paint over the section of the rock that contains the veterans’ ashes. Repainting The (original) Freedom Rock annually is one way the Sorensen family pays respect to those who have served, encourages tourism across the state and instills patriotism in their children. Sorensen donates his time; supplies are either paid for out of his pocket or through The Freedom Rock store.
Each Freedom Rock tells a story of veterans from that area. Sorensen has painted a Freedom Rock in every Iowa county. The 100th Freedom Rock – and the final one for Iowa – was installed in June 2022 near the Adventureland Inn in Altoona.
Sorensen is securing bookings for the 50 State Freedom Rock Tour. To date, Freedom Rocks have been installed in the following states: Iowa (of course!), Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Washington. In addition, he has booked Ohio and Washington state.
You can take part of the 25th anniversary celebration of The Freedom Rock by purchasing a commemorative t-shirt, calendar or lapel pin. Click here to begin your own Freedom Rock Tour. My recommendation is to incorporate an ice cream road trip, as well as stops at Iowa’s Best Burger winners, with your Freedom Rock Tour.
Art is a family affair. Bubba’s talented wife, Maria, is a photographer in addition to helping him with The Freedom Rock Tours and serving as a clerk for him in the Iowa House of Representatives. The couple also has three children: Independence (Indie); Michael (Mikey) named after Sorensen’s dad and great grandpa; and Liberty (a.k.a. Liberty Bell or Libby). -
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
TEAMWORK MAKES THIS FAMILY WORK — AT HOME AND ON THE FIELD
“Be coachable” is a Rohe family mantra. Amy Rohe and her husband, Bryan, apply this mindset to their roles at Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds and as parents of three active sons: Tanner, Colby and Tommy. Amy is Latham’s sales manager and Bryan is the company’s dealer recruitment manager.
The Rohe Family “We always try to remind each other to be coachable because that’s how you learn something new every day,” Amy says.
The Rohe (pronounced “Roy”) family applies much of that advice through their boys’ active involvement in baseball. The game alone teaches lessons both on and off the field. The message Amy appreciates the most is that it takes a whole team to win.
“We can have a few superstars who make big plays, but we must play as a team,” says Amy, who has worked for Latham since 2010. “Teams that put team goals ahead of individual goals usually have a winning record.”
Whether she’s managing a team of sales representatives or taking a road trip to visit Latham® dealers across the Upper Midwest, Amy approaches the task at hand with the same gusto. Her positive energy, combined with a background in sales with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Iowa State University, are two main reasons she was promoted to sales manager at Latham in 2019.
“We have team members who have many years of experience and others who are just getting into their groove, but each of us appreciates what we all have to offer,” she says. “We listen and learn from each other. This makes us stronger. There is nothing better than knowing you are making a difference.”
Amy adds, “One thing that I love about Latham is we’re innovative while staying true to our traditions, such as hospitality and the spirit of farmers helping farmers. Our leadership reminds us that faith and family come first.”
When they aren’t watching their boys play baseball, the Rohes enjoy riding horses, spending time on the water and camping — especially in the Dakotas where her father grew up and later farmed.
In the spirit of teamwork and baseball, the Rohes love easy, hearty recipes on busy summer days. This slow-cooked pulled chicken, paired with fresh sweet corn and watermelon, fits the bill.
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
This Could Be THE Year!
Optimism and grit are two qualities every farmer I’ve ever met has in common.
Family, farming, food and faith are the four themes that kept emerging as Iowa author Darcy Maulsby wrote the book, Iowa Agriculture: A History of Farming, Family and Food.
“For generations, American farmers have lived by an unwritten code centered around hard work, courage, perseverance, teamwork, personal responsibility and concern for the community,” Maulsby says.
This unwritten code is also the Latham way. You’ll find the words “teamwork” and “community” hanging on the wall of our company’s conference room, which is in the former home of Latham Seeds’ founders Willard and Evelyn Latham. We’re proud that our company headquarters is located on the Latham family’s Iowa Century Farm in Franklin County. Our office is surrounded by crops, which are our products.
My husband John, my brother-in-law Chris, and I are proud to be the third generation to own and operate our family-owned seed business. Each year we enter the spring planting season filled with hope and optimism. Each spring John says – and truly means it – that he is more excited than ever to watch our products emerge from the ground and see the crop develop throughout the growing season.
Keep in mind that a seed company grows its products one year in advance. This year we announced our 2024 product lineup to our local Latham® dealers earlier than ever because we’re so excited! All growing season long, our dealers will help us take product notes and evaluate performance. Latham Product Manager Steve Sick will be traveling across the Upper Midwest, meeting with our dealers and taking more notes on our products throughout the growing season. Our product selection begins with YOU, the American farmer.
From our family to yours, we wish you a safe planting season. To help you power through the long hours ahead, we’re sharing links to a few recipes that are easy to eat in the field or in the cab:
- 7 Tractor-Friendly Meal Ideas from This Farm Girl Cooks
- On-the-Go Lunch Ideas from This Farm Girl Cooks
- Farmer-Approved Tractor Meals from Prairie Californian
- Six Week Muffins from Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids
- Sweet & Salty Corn Chips from Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids
I’m also including a bonus recipe featuring pecans because today is National Pecan Day. Did you know a snack of one pecan serving (about 19 halves) provides loads of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals?
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Celebrating Our Legacy, During Ag Week and Always
Thank you, farmers!
As National Agriculture Week ends, I want to say thank you to the men and women who work in acres, not hours. Thanks to those of you who work past dark and get up before dawn to care for livestock. Thank you for working tirelessly to provide nutritious food and renewable fuel for the world.
The purpose of Ag Week is to shine a spotlight on American agriculture, preserving its past and celebrating its future. Like the Latham® Dealers with whom we work directly and the Upper Midwest farmers they serve, we are so proud of our agricultural roots.
It is our family’s honor to follow in the footsteps of Willard and Evelyn Latham, who started Latham Seeds in 1947 by answering a need for high quality seed. Willard and Evelyn were what I would call a “traditional farm family” of their time.
When I read Paul Harvey’s famous poem, I picture Evelyn holding a coffee pot and welcoming everyone – friends, neighbors and seed customers – to have a seat at the table:
Evelyn Latham And on the 8th day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, “I need a caretaker.” So God made a farmer.
God said, “I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the fields, milk cows again, eat supper and then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board.” So God made a farmer.
“I need somebody with arms strong enough to rustle a calf and yet gentle enough to deliver his own grandchild. Somebody to call hogs, tame cantankerous machinery, come home hungry, have to wait lunch until his wife’s done feeding visiting ladies and tell the ladies to be sure and come back real soon — and mean it.” So God made a farmer.
Evelyn would tell everyone to come back soon — and mean it. However, times have changed in the last 75 years that our family has owned and operated a seed business. I appreciate that young girls today are being told they can own their own farms.
Women in Agriculture today have inspiring role models, so today I’m shining a spotlight on a few of these women:
- April Hemmes, first recipient of “Top Producer” Trailblazer Award and first president of Iowa Women in Ag.
- Iowa Senator Annette Sweeney, who chairs Natural Resources Committee.
- Pam Bolin, the first female to serve on the Swiss Valley Farms Co-op Board of Directors
Me, Sweeney and Hemmes In celebration of trailblazing women throughout the generations, I’m sharing a family favorite recipe from Evelyn Latham.
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Latham® Corn Seed: Your Passport to Quality
By the time Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds offers a new corn hybrid, the number of places it has traveled in its developmental process is pretty “a-maize-ing.”Let’s look at the developmental timeline and how your bag of corn seed gets so many frequent flyer miles. It can take at least five years to create a new hybrid with a new seed parent. These new corn lines like to travel. As a breeder, I become the travel agent coordinating their travel plans.
What are some of the popular destinations for these lucky kernels? We use fields in Hawaii, Mexico, Chile and Argentina. By using these countries, we can plant fields year-round to accelerate our development process. In some cases, we can get three growing seasons in one year.
We use these locations to develop new parents, remake successful hybrids, create new experimental hybrids to test each year and produce hybrid for new releases. No one country can efficiently meet all our needs, so using multiple locations allows us to do different processes to deliver a new product to you.
Your family uses passports to travel and gets inspected by the TSA to get on the plane. A corn family needs similar documents for travel. The difference is that your family typically can travel and get into a country within a day. Each seed shipment we send or receive needs its own inspection and unique documentation, depending on where it’s going. Seed is further inspected upon arriving at its destination. This trip can take up to a week or more if its paperwork isn’t accepted. Delays can affect whether the seed arrives home in time.
The next time you look at a bag of Latham brand hybrid seed corn, know that it might have as many airline miles as you do. Unfortunately, I haven’t found a way to collect and use those frequent flyer perks!
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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
The Luck of the Irish (and Shepherd’s Pie) Is With Us
Books can sweep your mind to far-away places when you must stay home, but it’s the beauty and peace of the Irish countryside that fills my heart these days. St. Patricks’ Day seems like an appropriate time to relive some of my favorite memories from the Irish adventure we enjoyed in July 2022 with a group of Latham® dealers.
Highlights of that trip included a visit to the Cliffs of Moher, a private tour of Jameson Distillery in Midleton and a pint inside The Gravity Bar. Its figure-eight shape gives guests a 360-degree panorama, which includes the Wicklow Mountains where Guinness sources its freshwater. (Irish water is also the secret ingredient in Jameson Whiskey . . . but I digress.)
Another favorite stop for me was a visit to Ballymaloe, where I purchased a beautiful coffee table cookbook entitled “30 Years at Ballymaloe” by Darina Allen. Allen started Ireland’s first farmers market and helped develop it into a national industry. She and her brother Rory O’Connell established Ballymaloe Cookery School in 1983. As a tireless ambassador for Irish cooking, Allen has authored more than 10 books and presented on six television series. Today one of her daughters-in-law, who graduated from Ballymaloe Cookery School, has taken on many of Allen’s duties.
The importance of using fresh, local ingredients is taught at Ballymaloe Cookery School. I agree the most delicious food is prepared when using the highest quality ingredients. Because I don’t have greenhouses and our gardens are still frozen in the Upper Midwest, I have adapted a recipe from Ballymaloe for Shepherd’s Pie.
I’m also linking to my family’s favorite recipe for the Best Dang Mashed Potatoes. As an empty nester, I’m all about repurposing leftovers. A “round one” recipe of Iowa Ham Balls with a side of mashed potatoes becomes a “round two” recipe of Shepherd’s Pie. Brownies, however, go with every meal in my opinion! Which one of these recipes do you think I should try first: Guinness Brownies with Irish Cream Frosting or Fudge Guinness Brownies with Salted Caramel?
