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!”

Grafton Turkey Day BBQ Turkey

Ingredients

• Whole fresh turkey (12- to 14-pound turkey is most tender)
• Season to taste, using a 3:1:1:1 ratio:
  • 3 T. salt
  • 1 T. pepper
  • 1 T. celery salt
  • 1 T. garlic powder
  • ¼ stick butter

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Instructions

1. Always have single leg of Weber® kettle toward the wind to allow for proper air flow.
2. Remove package from cavity of turkey; rinse bird.
3. Remove ashes and old briquets from grill; add 1 gallon of fresh briquets.
4. Place an aluminum pan with 2 inches of water in center of grill to catch drippings.
5. Grill meat until deep part of turkey leg reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Remove turkey from grill, and cover meat with aluminum foil.

Grilling Tips from Weber:

1. Indirect heat is essential for a moist, evenly cooked turkey. Create two beds of charcoal on opposite sides of the charcoal grate and leave a wide area open in middle.
2. Place the turkey on a roasting rack set inside two large, disposable foil pans, and place the pan over the wide-open area (indirect heat). Close the lid.
3. Once every hour, add five to eight briquettes to each bed of charcoal. This helps to maintain an even level of heat. Drop the briquettes into the grill gently, so ashes don’t blow onto the turkey.
4. While the grill lid is open, tilt the turkey so juices accumulating in the center will pour into the pan and flavor the base of the gravy.
5. Cook the turkey until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (not touching the bone) registers 170° to 175° Fahrenheit.
6. Transfer the turkey to a platter; let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

Want more grilling inspiration? Check out these 10 different recipes from Weber Grills.