-
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Countdown to the Souper Bowl
To keep the week rolling, our friend Cindy Bousema shares a warm and hearty soup recipe that’s perfect on a cold Iowa night. Thanks to everyone who shared their favorite recipes with us for #NationalSoupMonth. Be on the lookout for your souper Latham ladle coming soon in the mail — and stay tuned to find out who wins the grand prize drawing for a new Ninja Foodi Cooker! -
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Are you getting Big Game ready? We are!
When it’s cold outside, this recipe is the next best thing to outdoor grilling. Thanks to Traci Sturgeon for sharing a souper family favorite with us! We hope you enjoy your Latham ladle — and good luck in our grand prize drawing for a new Ninja Foodi Cooker. #NationalSoupMonth #SouperBowlCountdown
-
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Our countdown to the Souper Bowl begins!
Prepare to score big and gain fans this Sunday with this souper recipe from our friend Travis Morey. Thanks to everyone who shared their family favorites with us for #NationalSoupMonth. Be on the lookout for your souper Latham ladle coming soon in the mail — and stay tuned to find out who wins the grand prize drawing for a new Ninja Foodi Cooker! Take note of the recipe below.
-
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Boldness and Humility: A True Leadership Trait
They met in 1989 at the Best Western hotel in Moline, Illinois to talk about the challenges facing seed companies at the time. Among those present was Bill Latham, who wanted to work alongside like-minded advocates of independent seed businesses.
The group’s main concern? How to keep from being shut out of the best genetics and early traits in soybeans (and later corn) as those traits came into the marketplace.
Chris Latham, who was 16 years old, remembers lots of “kitchen table talk” at his home in Alexander, Iowa, where Bill and others actively brainstormed ways to move forward.
“It was frankly a scary time,” Chris says. “The future was very uncertain as large companies could have easily shut out independents.”
As a result of those early discussions, however, the Independent Professional Seed Association (IPSA) was born. Fast forward 35 years later: Bill Latham’s sons, Chris and John, are still carrying on their father’s example as stewards in the industry.
“IPSA has always had great innovators, my father included,” says Chris, who just concluded a one-year term as president of the organization. He previously served as president of the Iowa Seed Association, and older brother John continues to serve on the board of the American Seed Trade Association.
“Independent companies provide a critical pathway for new products and ideas — outside what global seed companies can offer,” Chris says. “The inherent nature of independent companies is to find innovative ways to create value for farmers outside of the traditional trait and genetic pathways.”
Chris says his goal as IPSA president was to tell its members’ stories through bold and humble leadership. He also aimed to help the industry push forward, despite many mergers and consolidations among the global companies. Often, he says, Wall Street undervalues the benefits that independent companies bring to agriculture — a lesson he learned not only from his father but as CFO of Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds.
“I always admired Dad’s desire to learn about things and to apply it to whatever he did,” says Chris, who recalls summer vacations spent road-tripping across the United States, taking in the sights on their way to the latest seed industry convention. “I literally grew up in the seed business.”
After graduating from CAL High School in Latimer, Iowa, Chris majored in Finance at Drake University. He graduated in May 1995 and worked full-time in the banking industry. On Saturdays, he attended classes at Iowa State University in Ames to earn a Master of Business Administration.
Chris, his brother John and sister-in-law Shannon Latham purchased the family’s flagship soybean seed company in 2009 as the third-generation owners.
“While my background was not in agronomy, I felt I was in the right place and time to help grow the business,” Chris says. “John and Shannon have backgrounds in sales and marketing respectively. We each have unique roles, so we can contribute in our own way.”
Chris’s wife, Ann, is a family and child psychologist. She specializes in helping kids with learning challenges. They live in Urbandale, Iowa, and have three children: Will, Courtney and Morgan.
He shares his favorite recipe Turkey Tetrazzini below.
-
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Forging Family, Friends and Farming is Their Favorite Pastime
Diana Madsen grew up in a Minneapolis suburb, but the transition to small-town living was much easier than expected when she married Mike and moved into the farmhouse where his mother was raised.
Mike and Diana’s moms were childhood friends. Their parents even double dated while they were in high school.
When Diana’s family visited Heron Lake in the summers, it was common for the two families to gather. Their families stayed in touch throughout the years, but Mike and Diana didn’t start dating until they had graduated from college.
“I’ve always enjoyed farming and that’s all I’ve ever really wanted to do,” says Mike, who started farming in 1991 with his father. “I didn’t play football because I didn’t want to miss out on harvest.”
While rural living is different from Diana’s suburban childhood, she feels blessed to raise her family on the Stenzel Century Farm.
“The thing I love most is that your neighbors are your friends here,” she says. “Your neighbors and others in the community are always offering support in times of need. The other piece is that people are always looking out for your kids, too.”
Mike and Diana appreciate having flexible work schedules that allow them to maximize their family time. Diana worked for years as the Associate Director of Active Aging Programs at Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota. In addition to farming, Mike operates a Latham® dealership.
“What I enjoy most about selling seed is interacting with other farmers,” he says. “I decided to take on a Latham® dealership because Latham Seeds is a family-owned company that offers all the seed technology options available on the market.”
Mike and Diana are the proud parents of three grown children: Sarah, Andrew and Matt.
Because it’s National Soup Month, the Madsens are sharing one of their favorite recipes for a snowy January day.
-
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Promoting Pork Producers is Trish Cook’s Passion
She may be the first female president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association, but Trish Cook of Buchanan County is also the first to downplay the distinction.
“I have a lot of passion for our industry – for the people and the animals,” says Trish, who served on the IPPA board for four years before being elected president in January 2023. “I really don’t think about it as being the first female. Like so many others, when a job needs to get done, I just do it!”
Trish was one of eight kids to grow up on the family farm in Eastern Iowa, where her parents raised corn, soybeans, pigs, cattle and turkeys. While she helped on the farm when needed, Trish was much more interested in the business classes she took in high school, especially accounting, which she majored in at Iowa State University. She worked 11 years at Rockwell Collins in finance and accounting before leaving to help run the farm that she and her husband, Aaron, built near Winthrop, Iowa. By then, the couple had three kids: Holly, Spencer and Kirby.
“We raised our kids on the same farm as we raise pigs,” Trish says. “I couldn’t think of a better place to raise a family.”
Trish and Aaron are third-generation farmers. After graduating with an ag studies degree from ISU, Aaron returned to the family farm and over time built a 1,200-sow, farrow-to-finish pig farm, which markets 32,000 pigs annually. The farm also includes 1,200 acres of corn and soybeans. In past years, the Cooks have been named Master Pork Producers as well as IPPA Pork All-Americans.
On the farm, Aaron oversees the grain operations, feed delivery from the mill, equipment maintenance and four employees, while Trish manages human resources, payroll and accounting. She also sources all ingredients, including amino acids, soybean meal and corn, to run their on-farm feed mill. Aaron’s dad and uncle retired from the farm in 2022 but still help out in the fall and spring.
“Our family is proud to raise nutritious, delicious pork,” Trish says. “When people ask me what I do for a living, I am always proud to tell them that I am a hog farmer!”
Besides advocating for pork produces every day, Trish looks for opportunities to raise public awareness about the industry. One of her favorite marketing campaigns to date is IPPA’s viral “Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon” with Iowa State football players. IPPA partnered with the four ISU athletes — Myles Purchase, Tyler Moore, Tommy Hamann and Caleb Bacon — to create the promotion, which became a viral sensation with more than 10 million impressions.
“This has been such a fun marketing campaign,” Trish says. “We started with Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon, and then added (Alec) Cook and (Zach) Lovett to the mix.”
The light-hearted promotion to encourage people to buy more pork products — specifically ham and bacon — resulted in donations of more than $10,000 worth of pork to food pantries selected by the six ISU players. That equates to more than 13,300 servings of pork to help fight food insecurity.
“We’re grateful that this promotion came along at a good time to put smiles on a lot of people’s faces, including Iowa’s hard-working pig farmers,” Trish says. “The players have been fantastic to work with, and we’re glad to support them through this (name, image and likeness) agreement.”
One of Trish’s favorite recipes includes pork, of course! This Cuban braid is both beautiful and tasty. When Trish makes it, she says “it really does look like the picture!”
Here’s a video to see how to make it. Video courtesy of Iowa Pork.
-
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Celebrate January as “Souper” Bowl Month
It’s hard to think of something more comforting than a warm bowl of soup on a cold winter day. We all have our favorite soup recipes, and I’m pretty sure each bowl has a favorite memory behind it.
My favorite soup growing up was – and still is – my mom’s beef vegetable soup with homemade dumplings. I also enjoy my mom’s hamburger soup. Mom is a great from-scratch cook who doesn’t measure, so I’m thankful for The Pioneer Woman’s recipe for Hamburger Soup. I’ve added more favorite soup recipes over the years while interviewing Latham® Dealers for my blog. I made sure many of these got included in the Latham Seeds commemorative cookbook.
If you haven’t seen the soup recipes for cheeseburger, wild rice or sausage & squash . . . well, grab a copy of the cookbook and see for yourself why these are new must-haves in your menu plan. A few copies of the cookbook remain, so order now if you still need one. Email jennym@lathamseeds.com for ordering details.
Because there’s always room for soup, we want more recipes! Help us celebrate National Soup Month by sending us your favorite soup recipes.
Complete this online form and you’ll automatically receive a soup ladle from Latham Seeds! Better yet, you’ll be entered to win a fabulous Ninja Foodi Cooker, which has EIGHT cooking functions for soup (and many other things).
Send us just one recipe and you will feel like a souper star! We can’t wait to see your family favorites.
-
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
This Family Still Makes Christmas
Being resourceful was something Mandy (Maurer) Danner learned at an early age while growing up on her family’s farm in Royal, Iowa. Her parents, Lori and Jeff Maurer, enjoyed repurposing old farm equipment and household items to preserve memories and “decorate on a dime.” Family photos adorn the kitchen walls, framed in windows salvaged from an old hog barn. A bowl her great grandma used to make homemade bread hangs nearby. An old wooden ladder was turned into a unique, decorative shelf.
During the holiday season, finding new uses for old items was something the whole family took part in by literally “making Christmas.” Mandy, who is one of three Maurer kids, recalls everyone drawing names and then personally making a gift for that person. It became a special tradition that her dad and grandpa continue today, whether it be fireplace mantles or hand-crafted coffee tables for Mandy and her brothers, Kevin and Mitch. Their 82-year-old grandpa also makes each great grandchild a barn.
One of Mandy’s most cherished “make it Christmas” gifts is a beautiful kitchen table, made from wood her parents saved from felled trees on one of the first farms they ever bought. That table reminds Mandy of the love and care her family always showed – and passed along – through meaningful gifts that will last a lifetime.
“Together my dad and grandpa have made many things, but my favorite and most treasured is the kitchen table,” says Mandy, who has two children with her husband, Cole Danner who is the regional sales manager for all C&B Operations’ Iowa stores.
The Danners also raise purebred Red Angus cattle. A love for showing cattle brought Cole and Mandy together when they were students at Iowa State University and members of the Block & Bridle Club. Their son will show his first heifer in 2024, and they couldn’t be more excited for the upcoming show season.
Now that she and her siblings have children, Mandy says it’s a bit harder to do the “make it” each year. She’s grateful that her dad and grandpa are continuing the tradition.
When they gather together, the Maurer and Danner families enjoy easy-but-hearty meals like their beef stew that are perfect on cold, winter’s nights.
-
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Food Adds Flavor to Family Traditions
Traditions are near and dear to many families, especially during the holidays. The Dawes family of Adel, Iowa, has carried on a unique family tradition for more than 25 years. Every Christmas they gather for a warm meal at their grandparents’ house followed by an annual family cribbage tournament. Now four generations take part in the heated competition, as older family members reminisce about games from years’ past.
From playing cribbage to working together on the family farm, values of teamwork and integrity were instilled in Beau and his brother, Colby. Beau grew up just three miles from where he now lives and says the home farm is where his favorite memories took place.
For example, Beau drove to the field for the first time with his grandpa. His grandma would pile all the grandkids into the front seat of the old farm pickup and let each of them have a turn driving. They would pretend to go through the McDonald’s drive-through, so there was no damage to the crops. He found himself on other side of his favorite memory more than 25 years later, teaching his kids the same “skill.”
Beau and his wife, Amie, are the proud parents of three: Leah, Blake and Lane. Amie stays busy with kids’ activities plus working full time as a physician assistant in a high-risk obstetrics office. She and Beau’s mom bring family favorite meals to the field during harvest and planting season.
Beau farms with his dad, Nick, who became a Latham® dealer in 2000. Beau handles the day-to-day operations related to row crop operation, and Nick runs his own cow-calf herd on the side of their farm. After working for 11 years as a mortgage underwriter in downtown Des Moines, Beau traded in his suit coats and ties for polo shirts and caps. Then, in 2001 he became a full-time farmer and took over his dad’s Latham Seeds dealership. Beau hopes that some day a fourth generation will continue the family tradition of farming.
As an exclusive Latham Dealer, Beau takes pride in personally checking on his customers. He really appreciates working with a family-owned seed company. Beau says the Lathams look out for their people and treat them like family.
“I appreciate knowing that John Latham will make time to walk a field with one of my customers,” said Beau. “That shows a lot about the culture of Latham Seeds and the positive experience they are willing to provide for their customers.”
The Dawes family values time spent together, especially playing games and sharing meals. Today they’re sharing one of their favorite recipes that’s perfect for busy times throughout the year.
-
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds
Traditions for All Seasons
Family traditions always seem to come out during the holidays. But we all have special rituals we do throughout the year together, too. Maybe it’s for birthdays, such as cupcakes for breakfast (yes, it’s a thing). Maybe you make a point to celebrate your kids’ first or last days of school in a unique way.
Christmas, however, brings its own magic to the mix of family traditions. These are activities that connect one generation to the next, keeping memories alive for decades.
As a family-owned business, Latham Seeds is a huge believer in making memories with loved ones all year long. Our traditions run deep, but – like yours – they shine especially bright this time of year.
One of our favorite traditions as a company is the annual Christmas potluck, which we just wrapped up earlier this week. This is when employees bring a favorite dish to pass, and we all share a meal together. We also reserve time on this day for every employee to put a custom-made ornament on the tree in our office lobby. The ornaments are etched with the first names of each Latham employee.
We also mix up the Christmas potluck fun with an annual Ugly Sweater contest. This brings out the most creative expressions for all of us to see! There’s always “that one” who tops them all.
Last year Quinten Bohlman won with a reindeer hat. In years’ past we’ve been delighted by other holiday cheer — like Rod Fesenmeyer’s memorable Donner costume!
If you can’t win the ugly sweater contest, you can certainly go for our Christmas trivia Kahoot game, which is exactly what Fred Wilz did to win a beautiful wreath.
A holiday potluck wouldn’t be complete, of course, without food. Enjoy this recipe for sweet potato casserole — appropriately provided by Latham driver Steve Sweet.
May you and your family embrace all your holiday traditions this year, no matter how big or small!