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Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Ken Highness Retires From Latham Seeds

Ken Highness joined Latham Seeds in 2014 as a Regional Sales Manager in Northwest Minnesota and parts of Southeast North Dakota. Shortly after, he began covering new ground for Latham — working to narrow the gap between the company’s existing southern Minnesota territory and its North Dakota territory.

Now Ken is moving on to retirement, with a focus on one of his favorite things: family.

“I’ve enjoyed working with Latham Seeds because it’s a family-owned company,” Ken says. “Employees and dealers can go straight to the top for answers. The Latham team impressed me before I even joined it. If they didn’t have an immediate answer to my question, they researched it and got back to me in a timely fashion.”

Meeting people and helping farmers choose the best seed products for their acres is what Ken has enjoyed most about his job. He’s especially loved working with seed dealers because he operated his own seed dealership for 10 years. When the seed company Ken was representing was purchased by a multinational conglomeration, he started looking at alternative brands and discovered family-owned Latham Hi-Tech Seeds. He began as a Latham dealer before becoming a regional sales manager in 2014.

“One of my favorite parts of this job was helping a dealer reach his goals,” Ken says. “A seed dealership can help provide the extra income needed to bring the next generation into the family’s farming operation. It might allow someone to remodel their house or set aside money for their children’s education.”

You could always find Ken spending time with his family or enjoying the great outdoors. He has enjoyed upland bird hunting for many years, and, as an avid hunter, he raised Brittany Spaniels. Ken and his wife, Jeannie, were given a Brittany Spaniel with bloodlines from England as a wedding gift from her uncle.

In his retirement, Ken plans to spend even more time with family. He and Jeannie look forward to attending their grandchildren’s activities, as well as making memories with them in the field or in the kitchen. It isn’t unusual to find one of the grandkids riding along with Ken as he checks the crops. Each Thanksgiving weekend they continue their family’s holiday baking tradition.

And, about once a month, everyone gathers in their home for spaghetti dinner. Why? Because Ken and Jeannie were raised in Dilworth, Minn., which has a strong Italian influence. Ken says he grew up eating some of the best homemade pasta and sauces in his friends’ home and was lucky enough to learn from some of the best home cooks. He has combined about five different recipes to create one that he and his Norwegian family enjoy eating about once a week.

Shannon Latham

June 5, 2025

Agriculture, Beef, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Fire Up the Grill – Celebrate May Beef Month!
Celebrate the return of seasonal spring temperatures by firing up the grill! May is Beef Month, and Memorial Day weekend is the perfect time to enjoy an All-American juicy hamburger or a thick, delicious, mouth-watering steak.

Whatever you’re grilling, don’t underestimate the power of the sides!

Here are few of our favorites, shared by none other than our own Latham® Dealers.

Baked Beans Supreme:

https://www.lathamseeds.com/2024/08/a-sunny-disposition-is-key-to-this-familys-happy-heart/

Broccoli Raisin Salad:

https://www.lathamseeds.com/2023/06/milestone-memories-mark-this-familys-legacy-with-latham-seeds/

Grandma V’s Fruit Salad:

https://www.lathamseeds.com/2023/08/farming-and-freedom-the-best-of-both-worlds/

Sweet & Savory Cauliflower:

https://www.lathamseeds.com/2025/05/these-farmers-lend-a-hand-to-others-in-need/

Potato Salad:

https://www.lathamseeds.com/2025/05/looking-ahead-to-the-future-of-farming-and-a-side-of-potato-salad-2/
Heat and Sweet Burger

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Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1/8 cup jalepenos chopped
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Burger seasoning of your chocie
Raspberry all-fruit spread
Pepperjack cheese sliced
Rolls

Instructions

Combine ground beef, jalepenos and shredded cheese in a bowl.
Season the beef to your liking. I recommend Tony Chacheres cajun seasoning.
Form into patties (1/3 or 1/4 pound, your preference).
Grill to medium-well. Place pepperjack cheese on at the end to melt the cheese over the patty.
Recommended: lightly toast the bun.
Spread raspberry fruit spread on the bun, add the patty.
Shannon Latham

May 21, 2025

Beef, General, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

A Lifetime of Raising Cattle Comes Full Circle For This Beef Producer

Raising cattle has always been a big part of Nick Peterson’s life, beginning when he was a young boy helping on his grandparents’ farm near Charles City, Iowa. Later, when he was in his 20’s, Nick worked full-time on the family farm, which had 400 acres of crop ground some hogs, too. But it was the 1,000 head of cattle that took most of Nick’s time. It was also the start of what would eventually evolve into his own beef operation today.

“My background has always been raising fat cattle,” says Nick, who is also a Latham® dealer. “My grandparents farmed my entire life, but they never sold any grain. We just needed to get feed for our cattle and that was it. So, me becoming a seed dealer is an interesting thing, I guess!”

After 14 years on the family farm, Nick decided to venture out on his own. He and his wife, Lisa, moved to her family farm in Nashua, Iowa, rebuilt the house and buildings, and put a feed lot there. As fate would have it, Nick knew the McGregor family down the road because he’d worked for them when he was fresh out of high school. The connection resulted in a partnership of sorts, as Nick started “owning my own stuff” and buying more cows.

Between them, the Petersons and McGregors now have about 120 steers, along with western ones, and they’re “all mixed in together,” he says with a laugh.

“It made it way easier for me to start out on my own,” Nick says of the business arrangement. “It can be hard for a young guy to do that. Bankers don’t really want to let you build a feed yard and then give you $2 million in a line of credit to go buy some cattle.”

Today, Nick’s shop and seed dealership are located on the farm. He and Lisa have two girls, Jenna and Ava. Lisa is the branch manager at First Waverly Bank in Plainfield. Nick has served on the Chickasaw Cattlemen’s board for years, following Scott McGregor’s longtime example of advocating for beef producers on the local and national levels.

Shannon Latham

May 15, 2025

Beef, General, Recipes
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

The Early Riser Advantage: How Corn Emergence Impacts Final Yield
Every farmer I know is interested in extra yield. I am, too!

While there are thousands of variables that affect corn yield, we can conduct on-farm tests to see what matters most. That’s why I’ll conduct flag tests this spring to track corn emergence dates and see how it affects yield this fall.

Here are the steps I’ll take to conduct this test:

Measure off 1/1,000th of an acre that is representative of the field.

Place a colored flag beside the first set of corn seedlings as they spike.

Return to the field 24 hours later and mark the next group of emerged plants, using a different colored flag.

Return every 24 hours to mark the subsequent waves of emerging corn plants until the test row has fully emerged.

Harvest the plants according to the day of emergence. Record test weight and yield differences to see if it was affected by the emergence date.
We’d like to see every corn plant emerge within 24 hours of each other. Many studies show that plants emerging on Day 2 of emergence can have a 10% yield loss compared to the first plants that emerged. The yield decrease can be close to 40% for plants that emerge on Day 3, and those plants that emerge on Day 4 can have a yield loss of more than 80%.

The reason behind some yield loss is because the bigger corn plants take water and nutrients away from the smaller “brother plants.” Plants that emerge first get established sooner, and they do not leave much to feed the runts.

Planting Conditions Are Crucial

We all want to see picket-fence corn stands, so we must do all that we can to help corn seedlings emerge consistently. As part of Latham’s Premier Agronomy Center this season, we will plant learning blocks using TuneUp + Corn with ether to see how it helps seedlings emerge more uniformly.

Trying to cut corners to save time during the planting season can affect your harvest.

To avoid paying the price at harvest, keep these best practices in mind:
Prepare your planter before you hit the field. Make sure the disc openers and scrapers are in optimal condition.

Look at the closing system on your plant to ensure it’s closing the seed trench well.

Add some sort of starter to help those plants get out of the ground easier.

Make sure the field conditions are fit for planting because the stand is greatly affected by field conditions at planting.

Don’t push soil moisture and temperature.

Consider the forecast as weather events also can affect emergence.
- Take time to check planter depth and seed spacing with your handy, dandy Latham® seed depth indicator.
These are just a few things I try to be mindful of in the spring because I know it impacts fall yield. Let’s help our crops get off to a good start, so we can fill our bins with as many bushels as possible this fall.

Make it a great spring and be safe!

Here is a Prokosch family favorite recipe that keeps their whole crew warm.
Ham Potato Soup

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Ingredients

3½ cups peeled, diced potatoes
3¼ cups water or stock
¾ cup diced or cubed ham
⅓ cup celery, diced
1 onion, chopped
Watkins chicken soup seasoning
Pepper, to taste
5 tbsp butter
5 tbsp flour*
2 cups milk

Instructions

Add potatoes, water/stock, ham, celery, and onion to stockpot. Bring to a boil, and simmer until potatoes are tender.
Add Watkins seasoning and pepper to taste.
In a separate pan, melt butter and add flour. Stir and cook until thick. Then slowly whisk in milk, tablespoon at a time.
Add milk mixture to the stockpot, but do not boil. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Notes
COOK’S TIP: *We make this with gluten-free flour and oat milk.
Justin Prokosch

May 9, 2025

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

Saluting 27 Years of The Freedom Rock With Ray “Bubba” Sorensen

Inspired by the movie “Saving Private Ryan,” Ray (Bubba) Sorensen II first honored veterans in 1999 by painting a patriotic mural on a 12-foot-high, 60-ton granite boulder located 10 miles north of Greenfield, Iowa. Memorial Day 2025 marks the 27th anniversary of The Freedom Rock®. Sorensen will likely spend that day as he always does – with his family, visiting travelers to The Rock and learning about veterans or their family members.

A group of veterans, who stopped at The Freedom Rock as it was being painted in 2006, asked Sorensen if they could sprinkle some ashes of their fellow Vietnam veterans at the base of The Freedom Rock. Rather than have the ashes blow away, the artist offered to sprinkle the ashes into paint. He then painted those ashes on a Huey helicopter.

Although Sorensen paints a new tribute every year, he does not paint over the section of the rock that contains the veterans’ ashes. Repainting The (original) Freedom Rock annually is one way the Sorensen family pays respect to those who have served, encourages tourism across the state and instills patriotism in their children. Sorensen donates his time; supplies are either paid for out of his pocket or through The Freedom Rock store.

Each Freedom Rock tells a story of veterans from that area. Sorensen has painted a Freedom Rock in every Iowa county. The 100^th Freedom Rock – and the final one for Iowa – was installed in June 2022 in Altoona.

Sorensen continues to secure bookings for the 50 State Freedom Rock Tour. To date, Freedom Rocks have been installed in 10 states: Iowa (of course!), Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas Wisconsin and Washington. He has also booked a Freedom Rock for the state of Ohio.

You can help celebrate The Freedom Rock by purchasing a commemorative t-shirt, calendar or lapel pin. Click here to begin your own Freedom Rock Tour. My recommendation is to incorporate an ice cream road trip, as well as stops at Iowa’s Best Burger winners, with your Freedom Rock Tour.

Art is a family affair. Bubba’s talented wife, Maria, is a photographer in addition to helping him with The Freedom Rock Tours. The couple also has three children: Independence (Indie); Michael (Mikey) named after Sorensen’s dad and great grandpa; and Liberty (a.k.a. Liberty Bell or Libby).

Shannon Latham

April 24, 2025

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

Enjoy Easter Leftovers with “Round 2 Recipe” Ideas
What’s not to love about this weekend? Easter lilies are so fragrant and vases of tulips are so vibrant. I’m looking forward to my family’s traditional holiday feast of baked ham, roasted turkey, homemade mashed potatoes with lots of real butter, deviled eggs, plus assorted homemade pies. There most likely will be food left over, and I LOVE leftovers!

Before you think I’ve lost my mind, let me set the record straight. I do not define leftovers as turkey with a squirt of mayo between sliced bread. Reheating a slice of ham doesn’t count either. When I refer to “leftovers,” I’m talking about turning these “precooked proteins” into fabulous weeknight dinners!

My quick tips include cutting up leftover holiday turkey or ham. Then place 1½ to 2-cup servings per freezer bag, and then lay the bags flat in your freezer. Take out a serving at a time for a quick and easy meal.

Below are Top 10 “Round 2 Recipe” ideas I compiled from recipes that have been featured previously on this blog and in the Let’s Cook cookbook, which was printed last year by the Iowa Food and Family Project:
1. Garden Turkey Salad – If you click on this link, you’ll see the real title is “Garden Chicken Salad.” I often substitute chicken for turkey and vice versa. It’s all good!
2. Turkey & Blueberry Salad – The beautiful photo of this salad just looks like spring on a plate. I’m hoping there’s leftover turkey this weekend, just so I can make this one soon!
3. Asparagus & Ham Casserole – This recipe is perfect for a spring brunch including Mother’s Day.
4. Ham & Asparagus Sandwiches – Doesn’t this sandwich look like spring on a plate? Plus, Ciabatta makes everything better IMHO.
5. Put a new twist on the Rachel Sandwich by adding an egg like the Reub-egg-en Sandwich.
6. Sausage and Deviled Egg Salad Sliders – I’m intrigued by this recipe and think it will be the perfect use for the breakfast sausage that’s in my freezer.
7. Turkey Pot Pies – With spring fieldwork underway, this is a great go-to recipe.
8. Turkey and Noodle Toss – Noodles… enough said!
9. Southwestern Turkey Salad – This recipe tops my “must try” list for a summer potluck.
10. Scalloped Eggs and Ham Casserole – This recipe from the Iowa Egg Council is featured below.
What’s stopping you from trying a new recipe or two? I’ve read the average family eats nine different meals at home. NINE. If I left it up to my kids, they’d probably rotate between these five recipes: spaghetti pie, baked tacos, pizza casserole, and lasagna. But the foodie in me likes to try recipes that look and/or taste gourmet but are quick and easy to make.

I’m often inspired by beautiful food photography in magazines, coffee table cookbooks and even my Facebook newsfeed. In fact, Facebook is responsible for me selecting today’s featured recipe for Scalloped Eggs and Ham Casserole. I hope you find it intriguing, too! Let me know how you like it if you try it.
Scalloped Eggs and Ham Casserole

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Ingredients

6 hard-boiled large eggs peeled and sliced
1 cup chopped cooked ham
¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
2 cups jarred alfredo sauce divided
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup Panko or soft bread crumbs
1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh Italian parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lightly grease a 1-quart casserole. Layer half of the eggs, ham, and red pepper in the casserole dish. Top with 1 cup of alfredo sauce.
Repeat layers.
In saucepan, melt butter. Stir in panko and cheese. Evenly sprinkle over egg mixture in dish. Bake, uncovered for about 20 minutes or until it’s bubbly and the top is golden. If desired, sprinkle with parsley.
Shannon Latham

April 17, 2025

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

Which came first, the Easter bunny or Easter eggs?
Decorating eggs for Easter is a tradition that dates to at least the 13th century. It is believed German immigrants brought the egg-laying hare to Pennsylvania in the 1700s. Their children made nests where this fabled creature could lay its colored eggs. As this custom spread across the nation, Easter morning deliveries expanded to include chocolate and other types of candy and gifts.

It has been 60+ years since my mom hosted her family’s first egg hunt, and our tradition is still strong and growing through five generations. Mom also makes an Easter egg tree annually, so I asked her to help us make a fresh one. She cut a branch from her lilac tree, cemented it into a coffee can and painted the branches white. Then she showed our Italian exchange student how to carefully use a needle to make a small hole at the top of the egg and a larger hole at the bottom, so we could blow out the yolks. (Anyone else do this and then make an angel food cake?)

When I was a kid, we couldn’t purchase Easter tree decorations at the store. We had to color real chicken eggs and then decorate the tree branches with silk flowers and ribbons. Now our tree contains a mixture of handmade and store-bought decorations.

In years’ past, we dyed hard-boiled eggs that were then turned into my mom’s legendary potato salad. I remember standing on a kitchen chair as a little girl, so I could reach the kitchen counter where Mom would help me make an Easter bunny cake. Another one of my favorite memories is when a live bunny was left in my Easter basket.

Now that my kids are adults our traditions continue to evolve. My daughter will tell you that Easter dinner isn’t complete without ham and a side of macaroni and cheese with corn. My cousin makes the absolute best homemade version of this, using our grandma’s recipe for frozen sweet corn. Today I’m sharing a similar recipe from our hometown church cookbook.
Macaroni & Cheese with Corn

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour

Equipment
1 Large bowl
1 2-quart casserole dish

Ingredients

1 15.25 ounce can whole kernel corn, including water
1 14.75 ounce can cream style corn
1 cup uncooked small shell pasta or elbow macaroni
1 cup Velveeta cheese cubed
½ cup butter melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Stir together corn, uncooked pasta, cheese, and butter in a large bowl until well combined. Transfer mixture to 2-quart casserole dish.
Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover, stir, and continue baking for 30 more minutes or until pasta is tender.
Shannon Latham

April 10, 2025

General, Recipes, Season, Sides, Spring
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

Go wild! Go Hunting Gor Asparagus And Mushrooms
As a kid, I couldn’t wait for the warm spring weather to produce wild asparagus and mushrooms. I loved trekking through the woods with my dad, in search of morels. I also loved traipsing through the road ditches in search of tender, young asparagus. Most of all, I looked forward to eating my fill of both!

My favorite way to eat morels is dipping them in eggs, rolling them in crushed saltine crackers and frying them in real butter. If you’re lucky enough to find some yet this spring, check out these 10 amazing recipe ideas at https://www.midwestliving.com/food/fruits-veggies/morel-mushroom-recipes/.

While morel season in Iowa typically ends around Mother’s Day, there is still asparagus to be harvested. One of my favorite uses for asparagus is in a casserole with ham and noodles. This easy-to-make recipe is perfect for a formal Sunday brunch or a casual weeknight supper. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Also feel free to share your favorite asparagus recipes with me. I’d love to try some new ways to fix asparagus!
Asparagus and Ham Casserole

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Equipment
1 Food processor
1 Large pot
1 Medium bowl
1 Medium saucepan
1 Large bowl
1 2-quart casserole dish

Ingredients

1 slice white bread or ½ c. bread crumbs
3 3/4 c uncooked extra braod egg noodles or pasta of your choice
2 ½ c sliced asparagus 1 ½”
¼ c all purpose flour
½ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 c whole milk
1 c chicken broth fat free, less sodium
1 Tbs butter
¾ c onion finely chopped
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 ½ c cubed ham 1/2” square – about 8 oz
¼ c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbs grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Place bread into food processor, pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs form to measure ½ cup.
Cook pasta in boiling water 7 minutes, omitting salt and fat in water. Add asparagus, cook 1 minute.
Drain.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife.
Place flour, thyme, salt and pepper into medium bowl.
Gradually add milk and broth, stirring with a whisk until well blended.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the onion, sauté 4 minutes.
Add milk mixture, cook until thick (about 4 minutes), stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
Combine pasta mixture, milk mixture, ham and parsley in a large bowl, spoon into a 2-quart casserole dish.
Sprinkle with bread crumbs and cheese.
Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden.
Shannon Latham

April 2, 2025

Appetizers, Food & Family, Pork, Recipes, Sides, Spring
Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds

From the Farm to the Statehouse: Meet Chad Ingels
Chad Ingels is a dedicated pig farmer, conservation advocate and state legislator with deep roots in Fayette County, Iowa. Growing up on his family’s farm between Fayette and Maynard, Chad developed a strong work ethic and appreciation of agriculture from an early age. His love for farming was shaped by his parents and grandparents, who instilled in him the values of hard work and stewardship.

A Life Dedicated to Agriculture

Chad’s agricultural journey began as a member of 4-H, where he took on swine, horse and gardening projects. After graduating from Iowa State University with a degree in Horticulture, he found himself drawn back to the family farm. Despite facing challenges, including the hog market crash of 1998, Chad’s determination to continue raising pigs never wavered.

He partnered with Niman Ranch to raise pigs the old-fashioned way — in bedded pens and outdoors — bringing his vision of sustainable and humane farming to life.

“Raising pigs in a non-confinement situation is labor intensive but rewarding,” Chad says. “Each year, Niman Ranch hosts a hog farmer appreciation dinner where their customers come together with a lot of the farmers. The gratitude the customers show is almost overwhelming in some respects. It is great to learn how they use the pork and the positive feedback they receive from their own customers, the consumers.”

Today, Chad raises corn, soybeans, oats and hay while also maintaining a sow herd. His dedication to conservation is evident in his no-till soybean practices, cover crop trials ahead of corn, and efforts to improve water quality. His partnership with Niman Ranch has been instrumental in sustaining his pig farming operation, providing him with the resources to continue farming responsibly and humanely.

Passion for Conservation

Chad’s commitment to conservation was sparked during his time with Iowa State Extension, where he worked on water quality improvement projects. Since then, he’s made significant strides on his own farm by implementing cover crops, no-till planting and split nitrogen applications.

“I think it’s important to be conservation-focused because it increases the resiliency of the soil during periods of drought or excessive rainfall,” Chad says, adding that conservation practices benefit the environment while supporting long-term agricultural sustainability.

Serving Iowa in the State Legislature

Since 2021, Chad has served in the Iowa State Legislature, representing parts of Fayette, Buchanan and Black Hawk counties. His involvement in local government began more than 20 years ago when he served on the West Central School Board. Today, Chad serves on several legislative committees, including Education, Health and Human Services; and Labor. He is also chairman of the Administrative Rules Committee and past chair of Veterans Affairs.

“Serving in the Legislature has been a great experience, and I am honored to represent my part of Iowa,” he says.

Chad remains deeply committed to advocating for Iowa farmers and promoting responsible land stewardship through policy and leadership.

A Family Tradition

Chad’s passion for agriculture and public service is shared with his wife, Tammy, whom he met in high school band, and their three children, Colton, Kameryn, and Cullen. The Ingels family continues to stay active in their community, from attending high school sports to participating in Special Olympics events. In his spare time, Chad enjoys gardening and officiating high school basketball.

As part of his commitment to tradition, Chad has shared a family favorite recipe for sausage casserole — a hearty dish that showcases his love for farm-raised pork.
Sausage Casserole

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Ingredients

1 lb Ground Seasoned Pork Sausage
1 Medium Onion – diced
3 Cups boiling water
1 package Lipton's Chicken Noodle Soup Mix
3/4 Cup Rice
2 Cups Celery (chopped)

Instructions

Brown sausage and onion
Add water and soup
Mix in rice and celery
Let simmer 20 minutes
Put in greased casserole or 9×13 pan and bake for 1 – 1/2 hours at 350-degrees.
Bake uncovered an additional 20 minutes.
Stir several times while baking
NOTE: chopped green pepper added to the meat is good!
Shannon Latham

March 13, 2025

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

Growing with Latham: Meet Joe DeVries
Farming isn’t just a job for Joe DeVries — it’s a passion that took root on his family’s century farm just west of Chapin, Iowa. That’s where Joe learned early on the value of hard work, dedication and a love for the land. From raising his own ducks, turkeys and chickens as a young child to showing cattle at fairs across Midwest, Joe’s relationship with agriculture has always been a driving force in his life.

Active in 4-H and FFA, Joe served as both Chapter Treasurer and President while competing in numerous state-level contests. His love for cattle began at just five or six years old, when he started taking bucket calves to the fair, and continues today. Joe and his father Mark farm together, raising corn, soybeans, alfalfa and managing a beef cow/calf herd and feedlot.

While farming is his full-time focus, Joe is also committed to advocating for Iowa’s cattle industry. He works as the Northwest Iowa Member Services Advisor for the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, covering 22 counties. His dedication to the industry extends beyond work, as he recently completed a six-year term on the Franklin County Cattlemen Board and continues to serve on the Franklin County Extension Council.

Joe’s connection to Latham Seeds started long before he became a dealer. Farming just 10 miles away from Latham’s headquarters, he was aware of the company’s strong reputation. When approached in 2023 about joining the team, he was eager to give Latham a try.

“The products performed well for us in our first year with Latham,” Joe says. “I appreciate how they are a local company, but more importantly, a family-owned company.”

Though farming keeps Joe busy, he finds time to support his community and stay involved in cattle shows. His mother, Carma DeVries — who recently joined Latham Seeds as our new office manager — shares his passion for helping others, even assisting family friends with beef projects to provide opportunities for young exhibitors.

When Joe isn’t working in the fields or advocating for agriculture, he enjoys spending time with his “nephew” Waylan, who is the young son of a close friend. Watching Waylan develop his own love for farm life reminds Joe of his own childhood and fuels his passion for preserving the agricultural way of life for future generations.

“I enjoy having him ride with me in the tractor or come with me to check cows,” Joe says. “I enjoying seeing how he loves the farm life.

As part of his dealer spotlight, Joe is sharing a family favorite recipe for Spaghetti Pie. Enjoy this hearty, comforting dish that’s perfect for busy farm families.
Spaghetti Pie

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Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Equipment
1 9×13 Pan

Ingredients

2 pounds cooked hamburger
1 32 oz jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 pound thin spaghetti
2 eggs
2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)
1 cup onion (chopped)
1 green pepper (chopped)
garlic, salt and pepper to taste
1 bag pepperoni (sliced)
mushrooms (optional)
black olives (optional)
1 cup milk

Instructions

Break the spaghetti in small pieces and cook, then drain.
Mix together the eggs and milk, add to cooked spaghetti and spread into a greased, 9×13 pan.
Top with sauce, crumbled cooked hamburger, onion, green pepper and seasonings.
Top with black olives, mushrooms and finally the thin-sliced pepperoni.
Cover with cheese and bake at 350-degrees for 40-45 minutes.
Shannon Latham

February 14, 2025

Beef, Food & Family, Latham News, Recipes, Uncategorized