Chris Latham, chief financial officer of Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds, recently stepped into his new role as president of the Independent Seed Association (IPSA). At its recent annual conference in Tucson, Arizona, IPSA recognized Chris for his unwavering support of independent seed companies and welcomed him to the table.
John, Ian and Chris Latham at the 2023 IPSA Conference in Arizona
“IPSA is such a great organization, with great innovators,” says Chris, who previously served as president of the Iowa Seed Association. His older brother John was president of the American Seed Trade Association; both brothers followed their father’s example as a steward in the industry. “My dad and my brother have served in this same capacity. I’m proud to be here and I’m excited about the future of this industry.”
Chris credits his dad for instilling within him a passion for the seed industry.
“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, 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, John and Shannon Latham purchased the family’s flagship soybean seed company as the third-generation owners in 2009. That’s when Chris came onboard full-time as CFO of Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds.
“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 says his goal as IPSA president is stay connected with customers through communication that is both humble and bold.
“We can stand up to tell our story and advocate for innovations and the free market,” he says. “We want viability for the future, but if we’re not active in helping to tell that story, we’re not doing ourselves justice and we’re not doing our customers justice.”
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.
Today the Latham family is sharing with us a family favorite recipe for turkey tetrazzini.
Latham Seeds Delivers Hometown Service during COVID-19
During this challenging time, our focus remains on meeting the needs of farmers. We’re humbled to work together to produce feed, fiber and fuel for the world.
Livestock must get fed, and crop will soon be planted. The critical responsibilities of food and agriculture workers directly support the livelihoods of all Americans, as well as strengthen our nation’s economy and its security. That’s why the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has deemed agriculture a critical industry in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, exempting it from restrictions on the movement of commodities, food and vital production inputs. The declaration covers the full range of occupations in food and agriculture, such as those who produce or transport fertilizers, care for livestock, or engage in crop production.
This DHS declaration allows Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds to continue conditioning, bagging and shipping seed. Latham® dealers and their customers can expect the delivery of quality inputs for the planting season as Latham’s truck drivers will continue transporting our products without interruption.
Spring planting is just around the corner, and each spring we plant hope. We’re living and working in unprecedented times, but together we will get through this!
19th Amendment Forged the Way for Female Leadership
Iowa women have made history by being bold leaders.
Carrie Chapman Catt
2020 marked the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I find it fitting to start by paying tribute to suffrage leader Carrie Chapman Catt.
Carrie Chapman Catt’s girlhood home is only about 15 miles from the house where I grew up, yet I don’t remember learning about her accomplishments until I attended Iowa State University (ISU). The Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women in Politics was founded in 1992 on the ISU campus to educate and engage citizens in the political process. Because I graduated from ISU in the spring of 1993 and one of my majors was Public Service & Administration in Agriculture, I remember reading about how the center would “provide leadership development and mentoring opportunities to ISU students interested in politics, public service and women’s issues.”
In a blog post about Carrie Chapman Catt, ISU alumna Lynn Bolin of New Day Dairy in Clarksville writes that Carrie spent hours during her childhood reading books in the crook of a tree branch. It’s no surprise that Carrie loved books, considering all that she went on to accomplish. She attended college at the now Iowa State University and then studied law. In addition to leading the women’s suffrage movement, Carrie worked for peace in a variety of ways.
Thinking about Carrie reminded me of the 2015 blog post I wrote about the women who have blazed trails in Iowa agriculture. It’s interesting to look back and see just how much three of the women featured in that post have accomplished in recent years.
Shannon Latham and Gov. Reynolds
Governor of Iowa Kim Reynolds
“Women have played an important role in Iowa’s history and will continue to be trailblazers who serve as role models for current and future generations of Iowans,” said then-Iowa Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds as she kicked off her 2015 statewide tour during National Women’s History Month. She received her bachelor’s degree in December 2016 from ISU with three concentrations in political science, business management, and communications.
In 2017, Kim Reynolds became Iowa’s first female governor when then Gov. Terry E. Branstad became ambassador to China. On Nov. 4, 2018, she was elected as Iowa’s first woman governor. Gov. Reynolds describes herself as a “small-town girl at heart with common-sense values.” These principles are reflected in the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa initiative and Future Ready Iowa.
Senator Joni Ernst
Shannon Latham with Sen. Joni Ernst
Iowa State alumna Joni Ernst is Iowa’s first female U.S. senator and the first female veteran in the history of the U.S. Senate. She was first elected to Congress in 2015, which is also the year she retired as a lieutenant colonel from the Iowa Army National Guard. Sen. Ernst has developed a reputation as a “get-the-job-done Iowa farm girl with a conservative edge.”
Sen. Ernst serves on the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. She introduced, and the Senate passed, legislation to scrap the expanded definition of Waters of the United States (WOTUS) as proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). She has been heavily engaged in defending the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which promotes the use of renewable fuels, including ethanol and biodiesel.
Dr. Wendy Wintersteen, President of Iowa State University
Dr. Wintersteen served for 11 years as the endowed Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at ISU and director of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station. During her tenure, CALS rapidly increased enrollment to become the nation’s third largest college of agriculture and the college achieved a 98% placement rate for its graduates. Research grants also increased, as did awards for teaching excellence.
On Nov. 20, 2017, Dr. Wintersteen became Iowa State’s 16th president of Iowa State University by a unanimous vote of the Board of Regents, State of Iowa. She is the first woman to hold the university’s highest office.
From the statehouse to the U.S. Capitol, from a classroom teacher to a university professor, from family farms to national farm association board rooms, Iowa women continue to inspire us every day:
Shannon Latham with Rep. Upmeyer
Linda Upmeyer of Clear Lake made Iowa history by becoming the first woman to preside over the House chamber. She served as Speaker of the House from 2015-2019. Her father, Del Stromer, served as Speaker during the 69th General Assembly. Rep. Upmeyer and her father are the first father-daughter pair in the nation to have both served as Speakers of the House.
Kayla Lyons, in June 2019, became the first female Director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Pam Bolin of New Dairy Dairy, at age 29, became the first female to serve on the Swiss Valley Farms Co-op Board of Directors.
Julie Kenney was appointed Iowa Deputy Secretary of Agriculture in 2018.
Amanda De Jong in November 2017 was appointed State Executive Director (SED) for the USDA Iowa Farm Service Agency (FSA).
These women inspire others around them. Thanks to the courage and grace of Iowa’s female leaders, young ladies today have an unprecedented number of female role models.
Looking Through Latham’s Lens: Premium Quality Since 1947
Looking Through Latham’s Lens: Today we are featuring a video showing our high quality product. Thanks to our local, hands-on process, we’ve developed a reputation for the highest quality in the industry. Don’t settle for less than Latham® quality on your acres.
Looking Through Latham’s Lens: Maintaining Grower Relations
Joy Bonin has played a significant role in grower relations over the last 40 years. Some of our growers have been planting Latham® foundation seed since Willard Latham started the business over 70 years ago! Our long-standing relationship with growers proves the pride and dedication take to uphold our quality standards.
Happy National Grain Bin Safety Week! This morning on our #AskTheAgronomist series we have two guests with us to talk about the importance of grain bin safety. Take precautions now ensure safety on your farm to carry on your legacy.
0:23 — Topic introduction
1:10 — Stored grain quality
2:20 — Grain formation in the bin
3:13 – Grain safety tools: harness, retractable lanyard, radio communication & gas meter
4:00 — On-farm grain bin entrapment
4:40 — Grain safety tube
8:15 — Grain management
Quality is a word by which we’ve measured our work − from product selection to service − for more than 70 years.
For us, quality data means more than just collecting and reflecting on last year’s results. It’s moving your Data Forward by understanding how technology in the cab and data layers can be put to work on your farm for maximum profit per acre. We believe your data can be the foundation to drive decision making and keep your farm sustainable.
We are excited to expand our quality offerings at Latham Seeds with our NEW Data Forward App!
Our Latham led personal approach helps utilize your current data to see more profit. Our advisors will conduct a data quality analysis of your current data; clean and organize each layer of data; and share results and recommendations with you.
Benefits include:
Data Organization. Our advisors work to collect and update your data into our user-friendly, mobile system.
Yield Analysis & Insights tailored to your farm. An example of this is analyzing yield to understand optimal seeding rate for each hybrid on your fields.
Testing and Trials to determine what’s best for your fields. Evaluate ROI on a variety of products such as TALC and seed treatment.
Contact your Latham Seeds Sales Representative Latham’s Precision Agronomy Advisors Phil Long or Darin Chapman at 1.877.GO.LATHAM to get started.
