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
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.
For more than 75 years, Latham® Hi‑Tech Seeds has served farmers with the latest seed genetics, highest-quality products and unparalleled hometown service. But Bill Latham’s cancer diagnosis spurred a new way to serve: funding the treatment and research of cancer.
One in three people are diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, and the disease affects millions of others. That’s why — for more than a decade — Latham Seeds has been a proud supporter of the American Cancer Society (ACS), beginning with its involvement in Coaches vs. Cancer. As die-hard Iowa State fans and basketball enthusiasts, we began sponsoring the Cyclones Charity Stripe event for Coaches vs. Cancer in 2013. Eventually, we expanded our support to the Hawkeyes’ program. Each season, our family-owned company donates money to the ACS for every free throw made by a Cyclone and Hawkeye player.
Through our sponsorship of the Charity Stripe Promotion, Latham Seeds has given more than $65,000 to the ACS. Each year representatives from Latham Seeds are honors at half court of a college basketball game to present a check to the ACS.
“Our family’s experience gave us a new appreciation for all the lifesaving research, treatment and support provided by the American Cancer Society,” John Latham says. “After my dad’s stem cell transplant, he and my mom stayed in the Gift of Life Transplant House. They truly felt surrounded by caring people, which meant the world to them and our entire family.”
Latham Seeds’ partnership with the ACS was further deepened in 2022 when the company launched a campaign called “Sowing Seeds of Hope” in celebration of its 75th Anniversary. The goal is to raise $75,000 for the American Cancer Society within three years.
Help Us Sow More Seeds of Hope
Thanks to Latham® Dealers, customers and employees, the company met its goal of raising $25,000 in the first year of the campaign. We need your help to stay on track to meet our goal for Year Two of this campaign.
Below are three quick and easy ways you can help during the 2023-2024 sales year:
Thank you for joining our mission to fight cancer, one unit at a time! Learn more about this amazing opportunity.
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.
As we put 2023 on the shelf, there are several things we can reflect on to make 2024 more profitable. Two key factors helped shaped surprisingly good yields across Latham Country in 2023. First, nights were cooler than the year before, and the corn plant had a reprieve from the intense heat and drought. Second, genetics and plant characteristics have “migrated” north as the growing season has changed year over year.
Let’s take a closer look at how genetics and plant characteristics have changed and what Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds is doing to address these changes. Southern genetics have always been able to tolerate drought and heat better than their counterparts in the north. As the growing season extends throughout the years, southern genetics are being bred into northern germplasm which results in “tougher” products being brought north. Latham’s Research and Development program tests products south and north of their area of adaptation to fully vet these new genetics. The added spend is well worth the investment for Latham customers as we gain first-hand experience with these products across multiple environments.
Along with the shift in genetics and maturities, Latham is seeing a shift in technologies. We are seeing a shift in corn rootworm technology with the launch of VT4PRO™ with RNAi Technology. This technology brings three above-ground modes of action and two below-ground modes of action, including RNAi Technology. RNAi technology offers a specific mode of action which attacks the gut of the rootworm differently than all other modes of action. This technology is also featured in SmartStax® PRO with RNAi Technology. If rootworm protection is not in your plans, Latham hybrids featuring PowerCore® Enlist® are taking the market by storm. The Enlist® corn trait allows for the ultimate weed management flexibility with tolerance to glyphosate, glufosinate, 2,4-D choline, and FOP herbicides in corn. Enlist® herbicides stay on target and have lower volatility than both dicamba and traditional 2,4-D formulations. Use Enlist herbicides to control late season emerged broadleaf weeds such as waterhemp and Palmer amaranth. PowerCore® trait technology brings long-lasting insect control against key above-ground susceptible insects.
Latham Seeds offers a full portfolio of the latest traits and technologies, but we know it all comes down to yield. Here is a small sample of what you can expect from Latham’s corn portfolio.
LH 3775 VT2 PRO RIB, 87 RM:
+ 4 bu over DKC41-55 across 18 locations
+9.3 bu over P9193AM across 13 locations
LH 4438 SS PRO RIB, 94 RM:
+ 1.5 bu over DKC45-65 across 12 locations
LH 4866 TREC RIB, 98 RM:
+17.9 bu over DKC47-85RIB across 10 locations
+17.9 bu over P9624AM across 23 locations
LH 5336 PCE RIB, 103 RM:
+11.2 bu over P0421AM across 26 locations
+5.9 bu over DKC55-54 DG VT2P across 26 locations
LH 5815 VT2 PRO RIB, 108 RM:
+10.8 bu over P0622Q across 10 locations
LH 6306 PCE RIB, 113 RM:
+1.1 bu over DKC64-34 across 8 locations
+9.9 bu over P1197AM across 15 locations
LH 6445 VT2 PRO RIB, 114 RM:
+6.9 bu over DKC64-34 across 7 locations
+13 bu over P1197AM across 7 locations
Contact your local Latham representative to find out more information about these and other top-performing Latham corn hybrids or call 1.877.GO.LATHAM.
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.
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.
As farmers make their final seed purchasing decisions, some may wonder if the hybrids they selected in early fall are still the right ones today. The Latham Team will gladly help put your mind at ease.
Let’s begin by reviewing a few product selection basics. Most selection decisions begin with relative maturity (RM). These ratings are relative to physiological maturity and largely driven by a combination of growing degree days (GDDs) and planting date. When building a plan for the upcoming growing season, identify the GDD range and average required for a hybrid to reach physiological maturity (black layer) in your geography.
Planting multiple hybrids of varying maturity will reduce risk in three main areas:
About 60 to 70% of a farmer’s portfolio traditionally is focused on the core RM zone (i.e. 100-day RM) with 10 to 20% focused on earlier RM and the remainder on later RM. Remember, there is typically more yield variability within a given RM group. Spreading risk across a wider maturity range is especially important given the moisture limitations across the Upper Midwest.
Grain moisture at harvest also increases steadily with increasing relative maturity. On average, grain moisture at physiological maturity increases by 0.25 to 0.5% with each one-day increase in relative maturity. Selecting hybrids of appropriate maturity is important for a balance between yield potential and managing grain moisture at harvest, which ultimately grows more corn.
The Latham Team is here to help you feel confident about your seed decisions. After harvest each year, we share results from our own research. We hire third-party companies to plant and harvest Latham Elite trials, so our Product Team members can observe products and take notes at a greater number of locations. As a result, we have recently tripled the number of trials conducted on both corn and soybean products in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Dakota!
Once we identify experimental products from the Elite Trials that meet Latham Seeds’ standards AND fulfill our customers’ needs, we release them for sale. Check out multiple years and multiple locations of Latham® performance at LathamSeeds.com.
Yield pays. Latham delivers on that promise, just as we have for more than 75 years. Feel free to contact your local Latham Seeds representative or call 877-GO-LATHAM (877) 921-3428.
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.
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!