Fall harvest is underway in North Iowa. This means the scales are busy at Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds headquarters on our family’s Iowa Century Farm in Alexander.

Below are the Top 3 Reasons that Latham® brand soybeans have developed a reputation for quality and continue to top yield trials:

1. Harvest Protocol – The majority of Latham seed beans are brought to our plant upon harvest. These soybeans are kept under the watchful eye of Latham Production Plant Manager Greg Jaacks and his well-trained team. The Production Team uses a hand probe to take samples of every load of soybeans that crosses our scale. Each soybean variety is then stored in a separate bin; each bin is monitored daily to ensure the seed does not go out of condition before it is bagged or boxed. Some varieties are not grown near our Alexander plant, so we work with trusted family-owned seed conditioning partners that have a reputation for providing top quality.
2. Careful Conditioning – Throughout the process of taking the seed from the bin and placing it into bags or boxes, Latham’s Production Team carefully handles the seed each step of the way. Air screens and scalper screens remove sticks and pods. Sifter screens remove splits and small soybeans. Fans remove dust and dirt. Additional separator equipment ensures even shape, form and density. The results of this intensive process can be observed in each and every finished unit of Latham brand soybeans.
3. Quality Over Quantity – Throughout the process, quality is top priority as opposed to the speed of conditioning and bagging. Our production process slows when winter temperatures fall below 10 degrees and will halt completely when temps hit zero; other companies continue to condition seed although it can severely affect seed integrity and germination.

Producing the highest quality seed for farmers is the legacy we are proud to continue as the third generation of Latham family members to own and operate Latham Seeds. In fact, we take quality so seriously that President John Latham and General Manager Ryan Schon joined members of our production team this week as they pulled rogue plants by hand from a nearby production field.

We appreciate the diligence of our growers to work with us to produce as pure as seed of possible. We are grateful to have worked for so many years – and for generations – with local farmers to produce Latham brand soybean seed. Below are feature articles about a few of our contract soybean growers:

• Ted Pitzenberger
• Phil Pitzenberger
• Ian Pitzenberger

To celebrate our family’s legacy of producing high-quality soybeans, we’re sharing with you a slow cooker recipe for a meal that can be prepped in the morning before you head to the field during the busy harvest season. The following recipe for Calico Beans has been adapted by The Soy Foods Council to promote soybeans. Because October is Pork Month, you could further adapt this recipe by adding a pound of browned pork burger.