Recipes | | Latham Hi-Tech Seeds

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.

A table full of memories.

Mandy’s grandpa created this gates for our operation.

“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.

shannonlatham

December 22, 2023

Beef, Food & Family, General, Soups
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.

The Dawes Family

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.

shannonlatham

December 8, 2023

Food & Family, General, Poultry, Recipes
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.

Sandie with her festive sweater!

The Grinch made an appearance!

John and Shannon decorating the tree.

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!

This reindeer hat is a fun memory!

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.

Fred new his trivia which landed him a 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!

shannonlatham

December 4, 2023

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

Empty Nesters Make Room for Hobbies

Steve and Jodi Roelofs live in a garden spot of Minnesota.

The couple raised their family in a farmhouse next door, where Steve grew up and still raises hogs. That house serves as Steve’s farm office and Jodi’s workshop. The former kitchen and living room are filled with projects in various stages of re-purposing, including chalk-painted chairs to be sold at Hilltop Florist and Greenhouse in Mankato, where Jodi has worked for more than 20 years.

Jodi studied graphic arts at South Central College in Mankato where she met Steve, who studied ag production. She says she began working part-time at flower shops when her kids were small because it allowed her to enjoy adult conversation and provided her with a creative outlet. The scale of Jodi’s gardens grew along with her children.

The Roelofs are the proud parents of four sons: Tony, Christopher, Bryant and Matthew. Jody recalls good times serving as a 4-H leader from the time their oldest son was 10 years old until their youngest son graduated in May 2017.

“We had so much fun at the fair with our kids,” said Jody, who grew up on a Minnesota dairy farm and belonged to 4-H.

The Roelof Family

Now these empty nesters have adjusted to a new way of life. When their oldest son went to college, the family stopped farrowing. Jodi had been working in the farrowing barns, so this change gave her the opportunity to return to work in a floral shop. Steve and his brother, who had been farming together in a family corporation, decided to split the operation. Steve raised feeders and his brother raised the finishers.

The Roelofs in 2005 stopped farrowing and transitioned to a wean-to-finish operation. Since 2010, they have been custom finishing feeder pigs.

“This arrangement works well for us,” Steve says. “We’re responsible for the day-to-day care of the feeder pigs but we don’t have to assume any of the risk.”

Raising pigs, as well as selling Latham® brand seed, complement the family’s grain operation. Both enterprises allowed the Roelofs to cut expenses while increasing income to allow their son an opportunity to farm.

“We really liked the idea of working with a family-owned seed company,” Steve says.

The Roelofs enjoy outdoor activities all year long, from snowmobiling to water skiing. They also enjoy family dinners — especially this recipe for Crunchy Pork Chops.

shannonlatham

October 27, 2023

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

Like Farming, Cooking is a Multi-Generational Love

The Jacobsen family has been producing corn, soybeans and pork on an Iowa farm for almost as long as Iowa has been a state.

Doug and Carolyn Jacobsen began growing seed beans for Latham Seeds in the 1970s. They were the third generation to work the family’s Iowa Century Farm. Their son, Corey, and his wife, Kim, began growing seed beans in 1986 when he rented his first farm near the century farm.

While studying Ag Business at Iowa State University (ISU), Corey helped plant four crops and maintained his breeding-to-finish swine operation. He traveled home each weekend to do chores and made countless other trips whenever needed for breeding or farrowing. After graduating from ISU, Corey worked at Brenton Bank in Clarion and then at Dows United Bank & Trust, where he retired as bank president in 2000.

That’s when he started farming full time with Kim, who retired as a high school math teacher and coach at Clarion-Goldfield Dows.

Corey and Kim credit 4-H for laying the groundwork for future farmers, as well as for their three boys: Ben, Matthew and Caleb.

“Through 4-H, our boys learned skills they use on the farm such as welding, woodworking, small engines, along with the communication and record keeping,” Kim says. “We feel blessed that they grew up on the farm learning the value of honesty, hard work and sacrifice to accomplish goals. We couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Family favorite recipes are often passed down through generations. The Jacobsens are doing just that with these sausage and cheese egg roll wraps.

shannonlatham

October 18, 2023

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

Making Pork a Business and Dining Tradition

“Our family has been raising pigs practically since they got off the Mayflower,” says Andrew Perry, who farms with his father, Blaine, in Northwest Iowa. Andrew grew up also raising sheep, cattle and chickens. A Perry has been farming in Cherokee County for six generations. Blaine and his wife, Darlene, are the third generation to live on the home place near Aurelia.

The Perry Family

The Perrys’ business relationship with pork goes way back, but they also enjoy the fruits of their labor. Pork is a mainstay on the Perry’s dinner table. While nutritious, lean, high-protein pork powers the humans in their operation, the Perrys also make sure to provide their pigs with the right diet.

“We feed 80 percent of the corn we raise, so we keep corn for nine months before we haul any of it to town,” explains Blaine, who runs the combine while Andrew hauls grain from the field to the bins. They practice a 50-50 crop rotation and raise seed beans on contract.

When selecting corn hybrids, test weight and quality of seed is their focus. That is why Blaine and Andrew rely on Latham® quality corn hybrids.

“We raise corn that feeds our hogs. Then we use the manure our hogs produce to fertilize our fields,” Blaine says. “When you think about it, our operation comes full circle. Hog manure is ‘organic,’ but many people just don’t realize that manure has such a high value.”

Until 2022, the Perrys were independent pork producers with one nursery that supplied them with the pigs needed for their wean-to-finish operation. Now they custom finish hogs.

Conveniently, a neighbor built a feed mill one mile away. The Perrys haul their corn to the mill, which helps with biosecurity. Blaine and Andrew are the only two who enter their buildings. They credit controlling truck traffic and people inside their facilities with keeping their hogs healthier.

Andrew lives in Alta with his wife, Liz, who is a teacher at Cherokee Community School. They have three daughters: Danika, Alexa and Becca.

When they’re not busy on the farm, the Perrys enjoy taking tractor rides together. All three of Blaine and Darlene’s children — Andrew, Adam and Brooke — enjoy riding together in Peterson’s Annual Trip on Old Tractors (PATOOT).

The Perrys know that pork can adapt to most any meal needs, even desserts, as proven by Liz’s Bacon Bourbon Apple Pie.

shannonlatham

October 12, 2023

Corn, Crop, Desserts, Food & Family, Pork, Recipes, Soybeans
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

A Tradition of Growing Only the Best

Growing Latham’s high-quality soybeans has become a legacy for many farm families, as Steve and Karen Bruns demonstrate from their North Central Iowa farm.

“I have enjoyed working with everyone at Latham Seeds,” says Steve Bruns, who’s been a contract grower of Latham® seed beans since 1999. While he was in high school, Steve worked on weekends and during the summer for Latham grower Hugh Porterfield. Steve later custom-farmed Hugh’s ground for 20 years.

“The people I work with at Latham are the ones I’ve known since grade school,” adds Steve, who grew up northeast of Alexander, Iowa, on a farm his grandfather purchased in 1949.

Finding Farming Again

Like many young people, Steve left the area for a few years before he decided to choose farming as his livelihood. Sadly, Steve’s father developed cancer around that same time.

“I had to quickly take over the farm, right in the middle of the Farm Crisis,” says Steve, whose father, Dean, was just 44 years old when he passed. “Luckily, I didn’t have the chance to accumulate a lot of debt, which forced a lot of our farmers out of business during those turbulent years.”

What’s Next for Pork Producers

During the 1980s and 1990s, the pork industry changed a lot. Contracts to hog producers allowed for a steady income and took away the market swings. Steve got back into the pork industry in 2000 and operated a 4,000-head site for 20 years. As a top Iowa pork producer, his family’s photo was displayed outside the Animal Learning Center at the Iowa State Fair in 2005.

Although he’s no longer producing pork, Steve uses hog manure for fertilizer on as many acres as he can.

“Hog manure gives an extra yield bump if conditions are right when it’s applied,” he says. “We’ve seen a 10- to 20-bushel yield bump when manure has been applied under the right conditions.”

The Bruns Family

Now that he has retired from pork production, Steve hopes to have more time for golfing, fishing and hunting. Karen retired from the postal service after 21 years. She enjoys sewing, walking, gardening, traveling and spending time with family. The couple has three grown children: Eric, Jami and Lindsey.

The Bruns Family

The Bruns family enjoys gathering at the farm for great meals like this Ground Pork Casserole, a recipe passed down by Steve’s grandmother Elsie.

shannonlatham

October 5, 2023

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

Deliveries With a Personal Touch Keep Him Trucking Through Latham Country

Growing up, Steve Sweet spent every summer and school break riding along in the cab of his father’s big rig as he hauled goods or chemicals across the country. By the time Steve was in junior high school, he’d seen all 48 contiguous states — and figured out what his lifelong career would be.

“I followed in his footsteps,” Steve says of his dad, Norman. “I’ve been driving now for over 33 years.”

Like his father, Steve started driving dump trucks when he was 18. He went on the road at 21, traveling for months at a time throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. He hauled mostly meat and produce at first; then propane, grain and livestock. What he really enjoyed, however, was delivering to farmers.

“There’s just a much more personal touch,” Steve says. “I like getting to know the people rather than just dumping it off and saying, ‘See ya.’ With other hauls, the chances of seeing the same people again are slim to none.”

That’s why, when Steve saw that Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds was looking for a truck driver in 2021, he applied for the job. He works full-time for Latham now and knows all his customers (and most of their families) by name. Roughly half of the dealers he delivers seed to are shorter runs, which allows him to visit a little more at each stop.

“It’s nice to be able to chit chat a little after unloading,” he says. “The people are just my favorite thing about Latham.”

Steve grew up in Roland, Iowa. He lives just four blocks from his childhood home. He enjoys helping on his in-laws’ nearby farm, where they have 25 head of cattle and 80 acres of corn plus another 80 acres of pasture ground. He and his wife, Tasha, have five grown children and six grandchildren. Tasha is a case manager for Telligen, a national healthcare management company.

The truck driving career that Steve decided on as a young boy continues to deliver pride and satisfaction every day. Not only does it keep him going, Steve knows it also keeps the country going.

“Anything you eat, anything you own . . . at some point or another it’s been on a truck,” he says. “Just like dad, I’ll be doing it until I retire. And I’ll be telling all the stories of everywhere I’ve been.”

Since Steve’s job often requires him to default to quick, pre-packaged gas station meals like pizza and burritos, he has a long list of his favorite homemade meals. One side dish that is the family’s go-to is Buttery Sweet Potato Casserole.

shannonlatham

September 29, 2023

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

Farming and Football Are (Still) Mauch Family Traditions

No Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) program has claimed more national championships than North Dakota State football. The Bison won nine FCS titles from the 2011-21 seasons.

Those stats are treasured by fans of the NDSU Bison, but they have a much different meaning today for the Mauch family of Barney, North Dakota.

Cody Mauch played offensive tackle for the NDSU Bison football team before being drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the spring of 2023. He made his NFL debut with the Bucs on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023 in a game against the Minnesota Vikings – a team he always cheered for growing up.

His dad, Joe Mauch, recalls feeling proud watching his son play that first game, even if it felt odd to root “against” Minnesota.

A From-the-Farm Work Ethic

“We’ve been Vikings fans our whole lives and now we’re here cheering for the Bucs,” Joe says.

One of eight kids who grew up on the family’s fourth-generation farm in Southeast North Dakota, Cody says his parents, Joe and Stacey Mauch, introduced him to hard work at an early age. In an interview with reporters after his second-round draft pick, Cody explained how that upbringing translated into his football career.

“I was driving tractors at seven or eight years old. They put a lot of trust in me when I was young,” he says. “But that helped me a lot in life. My mindset is to go out there and have fun, but get the job done. I’m going to work hard and do my part.”

The Bucs officially listed Cody as starting right guard – a position he says fits his 6’5”, 302-pound frame well. With his signature long red hair and missing front teeth, Cody says he “couldn’t be any more authentic.”

Cody Mauch, Photo Credit: NDHSSA

Joe and his younger brother, Andrew, raise corn, soybeans and sugar beets on the family farm. They also custom bale wheat straw. The brothers recently took on a Latham® dealership to diversify their operation and to provide their seed customers with more options.

Everyone Watched This Watch Party

More than half their town of 900 people came out in full force to support Cody on NFL draft night, Joe says.

“The crowd went wild when Cody’s name got called,” he says. “Cody was with us at the community center with teachers, friends and coaches. People came from rival towns. It was just so neat that a small-town kid got drafted because that doesn’t happen that often.”

Joe says the families will travel to Florida after harvest to watch some games on the Bucs’ home turf.

Cody’s favorite “taste of home” meal is his mom’s Hamburger Hot Dish.

shannonlatham

September 22, 2023

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

A Love for Farming Drives This Farmer

Like many farm kids, Tony Rother never outgrew his love for equipment. He has always enjoyed farming and big trucks.

Because he also was good with numbers, Tony considered a career in financing. He graduated from North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) but his heart was set on farming rather than studying more numbers. His family’s farming operation wasn’t large enough to support everyone, so Tony spent two years driving trucks for Sukup Manufacturing in Sheffield, Iowa. In 2005, he reached his goal of starting his own trucking company.

Today Tony and his wife, Jessica, live down the road from where Tony’s great grandfather began farming in 1919. His parents, Mark and Sue Rother, live on the homeplace. Father and son have been farming together for more than 20 years. Since 2010, they also have been hauling seed to Latham® dealers and customers.

“What I enjoy most about trucking is the freedom I have,” Tony says. “I enjoy being my own boss and making my own decisions. I really enjoy working for Latham Seeds and talking with farmers across the Midwest.”

The ability to drive long distances comes in handy with an active family. Tony and Jessica have two children: Landon and Olivia. Both are active in traveling sports teams. Landon’s favorite sport is basketball and Olivia’s is softball. Jessica works as a social worker for Iowa Total Care, which takes her to several counties across North Iowa.

In their free time, the Rothers are involved in their community. Tony helps coach Landon’s West Fork basketball team. Jessica serves on the West Fork Booster Club and teaches Sunday School at Zion-St. John Lutheran Church.

One of their year-round, favorite recipes is Spinach-Stuffed Chicken Breasts — which is easier to make than it sounds! This main dish can be paired with nearly any type of side.

shannonlatham

September 15, 2023

Food & Family, General, Latham News, Poultry