Lansinks Celebrate 30 Years in Latham Seed Business
Some folks say December is the most wonderful time of the year. But if you ask these Iowa farmers, they’ll tell you they prefer the harvest season complete with a splendor of autumn colors.
“Our favorite time of the year is fall because we work all year for the harvest,” says Tammy Lansink, who has farmed with her husband, Dennis, for 42 years. They’re the third generation to farm the home place.
The Lansink Family
Growing up on a farm in western Iowa, Dennis Lansink knew he wanted to be a farmer by the time he was in high school. He started his own cattle project when he was in 4-H. He was active in FFA while he was in high school and began raising hogs a few years later. Upon graduating from high school in 1977, Dennis began farming with his father. They raised corn, soybeans, and alfalfa together until 1994. When his dad semi-retired, Dennis’ brother, Doug, joined the farming operation.
Dennis continues to raise cattle. He has switched from a cow-calf operation to backgrounding cattle. He purchases the calves when they’re between 400 and 500 pounds and feeds them until they’re about 900 to 1,000 pounds.
The JD 4020 being used to feed cattle is the first John Deere tractor that Dennis’ father purchased in 1970 and it’s still used today.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Dennis becoming a Latham® seeds dealer. He became a dealer in 1991 to stay abreast of new products and to also purchase his own seed at a discounted price. What he has since learned is that it’s more than that.
“After years of planting Latham brand soybeans and watching their performance in my fields, as well as growing Latham seed beans, I knew Latham quality was consistent and high performing,” says Dennis. “With encouragement from one of my friends who was a Latham dealer in a nearby town, I decided to become a seed dealer. Being a family owned and operated business, Latham Seeds appealed to me. It has been a good fit for our farming operation. I also like that Latham purchases different seed traits from other companies, which provides my customers and myself with more choices.”
The Lansinks spend as much time as possible with their family. Dennis and Tammy are the proud parents of four adult children: Christopher, Callie, Courtney and Cara. During this season of life, they’re especially enjoying watching their 11 grandchildren participate in sports and other activities. They also enjoy the regular euchre and marble games they play with Dennis’ 89-year-old mother, Leila.
When he can find the time, Dennis enjoys riding his motorcycle and golfing. He also enjoys participating in tractor rides. Dennis’ favorite tractor is a John Deere 4320, which he restored a few years ago and enjoys taking on rides. Another special tractor is the JD 4020, which was the first John Deere tractor that Dennis’ dad purchased in 1970. The family still uses it today to feed cattle.
Dennis’ favorite tractor is the JD 4320. He had it restored years ago and enjoys taking it on tractor rides.
Speaking of feeding… Tammy is responsible for feeding a hungry crew. Because she’s also a full-time grain cart operator during harvest, she likes hearty meals that are easy to prep ahead of time. Today she is sharing with us one of her family’s favorite recipes for Cheeseburger Soup.
It was another record-breaking weekend at the Iowa State Fair as the 2021 Sale of Champions set a record by raising more than $445,000 for scholarships! The Sale of Champions also broke four records for the highest selling species. The Grand Champion FFA Market Lamb, exhibited by Phoebe Sanders of Eagle Grove, set a new sheep record at $18,500.
The Champion and Reserve Champion animals selected during the Iowa State Fair livestock shows are sold annually during the last Saturday of the fair. The 16 winning exhibitors are asked to raise funds from their hometowns, and then buyers from across the nation put in the remaining funds.
Phoebe Sanders with her 2021 Grand Champion FFA Market Lamb.
“What I love about Iowa and agriculture is you’ll find an outpouring support of people who want to see you succeed,” says Phoebe, who is a junior in Agricultural Business at Iowa State University where she is active in Block & Bridle and Ag Business Club. “I’m so thankful for all the support I’ve received. This year we raised $11,000 to put toward buying my market lamb. Fareway and Lettow Show Pigs paid the remainder of the selling price.”
The Winner’s Circle
Proceeds raised from the annual Sale of Champions fund scholarships offered by the Iowa Foundation for Agricultural Advancement (IFFA). To be eligible for a Winner’s Circle Scholarship, students must study agriculture in either a two-year college or four-year university in Iowa. Scholarship applications are typically due April 1, and recipients are invited to a picnic held the day of the Sale of Champions.
“My favorite part about leading the Iowa Foundation for Ag Advancement (IFAA) is the Sale of Champions and the academic support we are able to provide to students studying agriculture in Iowa,” says Andrew Lauver, IFAA president. “I love seeing the scholarship recipients line up to receive their scholarships and then viewing the families enter the ring with their champion animals to celebrate their successes through the sale of their animals.”
The Grand Champion FFA Market Lamb, exhibited by Phoebe Sanders of Eagle Grove, set a new sheep record at $18,500.
Phoebe has been both a scholarship recipient and an exhibitor. She received a Winner’s Circle Scholarship in 2019, so she understands first-hand what a difference the IFFA scholarships make to students. She also has raised a significant amount of scholarship dollars for the past three years as she exhibited the Grand Champion FFA Market Lamb in both 2021 and 2020. In 2019, her market lamb was Iowa State Fair Reserve Grand Champion and also sold in the Sale of Champions.
As a Clarion – Goldfield – Dows FFA member, Phoebe started showing lambs seven years ago. She has one more year of state fair eligibility left.
“My favorite thing about the state fair is connecting with friends I haven’t seen for a whole year,” says Phoebe. “Showing animals has allowed me to make so many friends. I’m living in a house (at college) with six girls who I know from showing and none of them are from my hometown.”
Another benefit to showing livestock, says Phoebe, is developing confidence from being in the ring.
“I’m so grateful for my family and the support they give me. Growing up my brother, Denton, has been my mentor. One of my favorite memories was winning showmanship at the American Royal in Kansas City. My brother told me I had to do it even though I was reluctant, and I was glad I stepped outside of my comfort zone.”
Phoebe Sanders in the show ring with her market lamb.
Phoebe adds, “My advice for anyone showing an animal is to make connections and work hard because people will notice that. My family’s motto is to do our chores the best that we can and to work with our animals the best we can. After that, it’s just one man’s opinion.”
That work ethic is paying off for Phoebe both academically and professionally. This summer she worked under grain merchandisers at Gold Eagle Co-op. She also worked as an intern at Rule Sheep Co. in Hawarden. During the summer of 2020, she interned with ISU Extension and Outreach in Wright County. After graduation, Phoebe would like to work in grain merchandising or in ag sales.
In celebration of Phoebe’s Grand Champion Market Lamb, today we’re sharing a recipe from the Iowa Sheep Industry Association’s chili cookoff.
Local Businesses Do Battle and Food Pantries Benefit
Ag Week 2021 marked the 10th anniversary of the Breakfast Battle sponsored by Franklin County Farm Bureau and local businesses, including Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds.
“This is such a fun and meaningful event that we’ve repeated for 10 years now,” says Mike Borcherding, president, Franklin County Farm Bureau. “We schedule it during National Ag Week to promote agriculture in Iowa and to bring awareness to food insecurity in our area. Plus, it’s a great way to give back to Franklin County communities!”
Each year National Ag Week recognizes and celebrates the abundance provided by agriculture to our daily lives including food, fiber, and fuel. “Food brings everyone to the table” was the 2021 Ag Day theme, so farmers and business owners in Franklin County helped put food on the table.
“It’s important to remind people that while food is abundant across Iowa, there are food insecure even in Franklin County,” adds Borchering. “We want to maintain a partnership with our local food pantries that are doing a great job helping to meet those needs.”
During the annual Breakfast Battle, teams from local businesses race around the Fareway store in Hampton. They collect groceries for a family of four for one day’s worth of meals. Recipes from Iowa State University Extension’s “Healthy and Homemade” cookbook are provided to the racers for breakfast, dinner, and supper. Racers must gather those ingredients to make a complete meal plus additional items to hit a certain grocery total. Teams that spend more than the designated grocery title are penalized by having time added. The winner receives a traveling trophy for the year.
Thanks to Franklin County Farm Bureau and Lacey Peter for racing on behalf of Team Latham. Although we didn’t take home the trophy, local food pantries were the winners.
“This year’s Breakfast Battle looked a little different to accommodate the continuation of the COVID pandemic,” said Anna Dunnwald, Outreach Coordinator for Franklin County Farm Bureau. “Each business had only one racer rather than a team of three, but we still met our goal. Each year our goal is to gather enough groceries to provide three meals a day for 10 local families. We also encourage participating businesses to match a donation to the pantries for $50, which hopefully doubles the impact!”
Each year the families who receive the groceries also receive a cookbook, donated by Franklin County Extension, that contains the recipes used in the race. New this year, Central Park Dentistry of Sheffield provided dental hygiene kits for the families.
Franklin County Food Pantry in Hampton and the West Fork Food Pantry in Sheffield received food from the 2021 Breakfast Battle. In celebration of National Ag Day on March 23, 2021, Team Latham members helped Pastor G. Kim and Diane Wills pack Easter baskets for those who are served by the West Food Pantry. Our afternoon of service was inspired by the challenge issued by Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig for those involved with Iowa agriculture to give back.
Special thanks to the Team Latham members who volunteered time on Ag Day to help pack food sacks at the West Fork Food Pantry in Sheffield, Iowa. The number of families served by the food pantry has doubled since the pandemic began. Pictured from front to back and from left to right are: Ryan Schon, Brandi Hoesing, John Latham, Rod Fesenmeyer, Jesse Meints (youth and family director for Zion St. John), Pastor G. Kim, Meg Schon, Diane Wills (site coordinator for West Fork Food Pantry), and Chris Latham.
West Fork Food Pantry
It was about five years ago when Pastor Wills and his wife, Diane, heard a report on KLMJ radio about local food insecurity. It prompted them to contact the Food Bank of Iowa (FBOI) and learn about the need in Franklin County. In 2016, the Wills helped start a mobile pantry that was held at Zion St. John Lutheran Church in Sheffield, Iowa.
“The Food Bank of Iowa uses the mobile pantries to determine if there is a need. As a mobile pantry, we received a shipment of food every month. The food went out the door the same day. There was no cost to us, and we didn’t need to provide storage,” says Diane Wills, site coordinator for West Fork Food Pantry. “Once the need was established in our community, the Food Bank of Iowa encouraged us to become a permanent pantry in 2018.”
As a permanent site and partner agency with the FBOI, the West Fork Food Pantry purchases most of its food from the FBOI. It also must provide storage. The local pantry is open the first Thursday of every month from 10 A.M. to noon. It is open the third Thursday of each month from 3:30 to 5:30 P.M.
“Before the pandemic, we served about 40 to 50 families, or approximately 140 to 150 people, each month. Now we average 60 to 80 families, or around 250 people per month,” says Wills. “All of our funding is provided through grants and community donations. We accept monetary and in-kind donations.”
Those interested in contributing to the West Fork Food Pantry may email Diane Wills at wfpantry@zionstjohn.org or call the church 641-892-4010. The original partnering churches include Zion St. John Lutheran, West Fork Methodist, First Methodist of Sheffield, St. Paul Lutheran of Thornton and St. Peter Lutheran in Rockwell. Regular donations come from First Grace Baptist in Sheffield, United Methodist of Thornton, Sacred Heart Catholic in Rockwell, and Zion Reformed of Sheffield.
In celebration of National Ag Day, today we’re sharing a recipe from Iowa State University Extension for Loaded Potato Soup.
Latham RSM Justin Prokosch Loves the Life He’s Living
He knew he had found “the one” when he was in high school.
Justin Prokosch grew up on a family farm south of Redwood Falls, Minnesota. He helps his dad, Steve, and Steve’s brother, Jim, on the family’s farm, which became a Century Farm in 2005. Steve and Jim went to school for diesel mechanics and operate a machine shop on the farm where they fix other people’s equipment. In addition, Justin’s grandpa in 1972 started a DeKalb® dealership.
“My dad took over the seed dealership, so I grew up around the seed business. I was very involved in high school. I helped sort seed and deliver it to customers. I understood billing and what went into running a seed business. That hands-on experience is what really got interested me in the seed business. I’ve always had a passion for placing seed in the right spot.”
With his background and passion, today Justin is a valued member of Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds’ sales team in the north. He serves as Regional Sales Manager (RSM), which includes the Southern half of Minnesota. His responsibilities include building and coaching Latham Seeds’ dealer network.
“Having a large region is challenging because each area of the state is completely different,” says Justin. “One product can work really well in one area but not in the other area, so it all comes back to product placement. It’s important to understand product characteristics.”
“I really became passionate about agriculture when I was in high school,” adds Justin. “By the time I was a junior, I knew I had that passion for agriculture and that’s what led me to pursue a career in ag.”
After graduating from high school in Wabasso, Justin attended Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) in Marshall for Ag Business with a minor in Agronomy. Since Marshall is only 35 miles from the Prokosch home farm, Justin was able to help on the farm while attending college. He planned his class schedule around farm work. When he was a sophomore in college, he purchased the farm place across from his parents’ place and began commuting every day to Marshall.
His heart was in two places.
While he was in high school, Justin met his soul mate while attending a religious retreat. Katie grew up in Marshall, so the young couple spent a lot of time together during Justin’s freshman year of college. The following year Katie attended the College of St. Benedict by St. Cloud where she was a collegiate swimmer. She graduated with a degree in Theology and then pursued a master’s degree in Theology from Boston College. Katie’s program was unique in that she had to spend six weeks of the summer, for three summers, in Boston.
In addition to working on her master’s degree, Katie and Justin were planning a wedding. The couple got married in March 2014.
“When Katy and I got married, we talked about how I am the last Prokosch to carry on the family name. Leo, our oldest son, is named after my grandpa,” explains Justin. “After the twins were born, Katie asked if four boys were enough to carry on the Prokosch name.”
Family First
Justin joined the Latham Team in June 2018. Prior to that, he worked as a seed DSM for three years with another company. He also worked at a local co-op and helped run its precision ag program for almost three years after he first graduated from college.
“What really attracted me to Latham Seeds is that it’s a family-owned company. When they say family comes first, the owners really mean it. Katie was pregnant with twins when the company I was working for went through a merge and was reducing the sales force by 30 percent. It was a time of great uncertainty. It was also during this time that I had an interview with Amy (Rohe) and John (Latham). I was impressed that the president of the company – a company owner – cared enough about who was working for him that he sat down with me in the interview. I was coming from Corporate America into a family business, and I thought that was awesome.”
On the Saturday before Justin was supposed to start his new position with Latham Seeds, Katie went into premature labor with their twins.
“I sent a message to people at Latham Seeds, explaining why I couldn’t start on Monday. Everyone’s first response, ‘You need to take care of your family. Don’t worry about us. We will work with you to make sure everything works out just fine.’ That just spoke volumes of how the Management Team and owners care. I’ve really come to understand the value of family ownership. Latham focuses on what matters most.”
Justin also appreciates that he can share his love of agriculture with his children, just as his father did with him.
“I love getting our oldest boys in the field and sharing experiences with them. They’re four and five years old now, but they have wanted to be a farmer since they were two. They’re ‘farming’ even when they’re indoors. For as young as they are, they comprehend quite a bit about why we do certain things. I think it’s awesome to see. Through and through, all four of our kids are farm kids.”
Justin and Katie will soon be parents to five kids under the age of six: Leo will turn six in April 2021; Mathias is four years old; and twins Isidore (Izzy) and Augustine (Auggie) are two years old. Their fifth child is due in March.
More changes are on the horizon. Katie has been working as the Director of Religious Education for two local parishes. Once their fifth child is born, she will stay home full time.
“I’m really excited about the future. There are just so many good things happening in all aspects of my life,” says Justin. “Business has grown to the point where Latham Seeds was able to hire a DSM for southern Minnesota. Dan really understands the type of people we want to do business with. He has strong agronomic background and shares my philosophy about the importance of placing seed, rather than just selling it. Dan also appreciates being back in a family business, and he is ambitious. I’m really excited about working with him.”
After Hours
Katie and Justin enjoy hiking in state parks year-round with their children.
When Justin isn’t meeting with farmers or walking fields, you’re still apt to find him outdoors. He and Katie enjoy hiking state parks across Minnesota. Katie grew up camping, so they drive to campgrounds on weekends in the summer to meet her parents. Justin enjoys hunting with his family.
“I love pheasant hunting because it’s something my mom’s side of the family enjoys doing together,” he says. “My mom is the oldest of eight kids, and they’re very close. She grew up on a dairy farm in West Central Minnesota. After my Grandpa passed away in 2004, the dairy barn was turned into hunting lodge and the farm was turned into a game farm. The opening of Minnesota’s pheasant season is a huge family get together. Although it’s in the middle of harvest, I love getting together with everyone.”
This time of year, Justin enjoys ice fishing. He has taken his oldest two boys ice fishing this year, and they enjoyed the experience.
When the Midwest temperatures are cold enough to freeze the ice, it’s nice to sit down at the table with family and enjoy comfort foods. Today Justin and his family are sharing with us a recipe for sauerkraut soup.
Ask children under the age of 10 what they want to be when they grow up and they will likely give you one of these answers: professional athlete, doctor, veterinarian, firefighter, police officer or teacher. It’s no surprise a kid’s answer is heavily influenced by the adults in his or her life.
Dan Miller of Mapleton, Minnesota, says he has wanted to be a seed seller from the time he was old enough to accompany his father, Ron, to plot days and on sales calls. In addition to operating a seed dealership, Ron has raised corn, soybeans and hogs since 1979. He and his wife, Cheryl, also have raised four children. Their oldest son, Lance, is a production agronomist. Their daughter, Amy, is a financial planner. Their son Alan farms with Ron and raises hogs. Alan also recently became a Latham® Seeds dealer. Dan, the youngest, also is following in his father’s footsteps.
“I’ve always wanted to work in agriculture, and seed is the area I enjoy most,” says Dan, who enjoys helping on the family farm. He graduated with a degree in Ag Business from the University of Wisconsin at River Falls. His first job after college was working for a cooperative in southeast Minnesota for five years. During that time, he earned his Certified Crop Advisor. Following that he worked another three years for a cooperative in South Central Minnesota. He also interned for a crop consultant for two years.
While living in southeast Minnesota, Dan met his wife, Clarissa, in Rochester where she was working as a registered nurse in the medical cardiac progressive care unit at St. Mary’s Hospital. They realized they had much in common. She also has three siblings and they both grew up with farming families in rural communities in Mapleton, Minnesota, and Odebolt, Iowa. Their parents were both married within a few weeks of one another, so they celebrated their families when he and Clarissa were married on November 30, 2019. Now Clarissa is a cardiac device nurse at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato.
Both Dan’s and Clarissa’s families enjoy spending time at the lake. In fact, Dan proposed to Clarissa while cruising on a pontoon. When Dan was growing up, his family vacationed for a week every summer at the lake. They still enjoy fishing up north. In addition, Dan and Clarissa have started a tradition of spending a week at Lake Okoboji in Northwest Iowa with her family.
Dan and Clarissa enjoy spending time in the great outdoors, whether its golfing or walking their dog. The couple welcomed a German Shorthair Pointer in January 2020. Dan is training her to hunt pheasants.
As another new year approaches, Dan has welcomed another change. He joined the Latham Team on December 1, 2020, as a District Sales Manager. He serves the Minnesota counties of Blue Earth, Nicollet, Le Sueur, Waseca, Watonwan, Martin, Faribault and Freeborn.
“What drew me to Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds is its family atmosphere. Some of my customers have had planted Latham® products, and I’ve seen the great performance. I see opportunities here for Latham, and it excites me to be a part of it. I look forward to just focusing on selling one brand of seed. I enjoy using technology to place hybrids. That’s how I differentiated myself from the competition in the retail setting, and I’m looking forward to putting my background and experience to work for Latham.”
With a focus on family, Dan is looking forward to enjoying holiday traditions. One of his family’s traditions is to enjoy soup and snacks on Christmas Eve. Today he is sharing a recipe for Chicken Wild Rice Soup.
The Packers aren’t playing at the Super Bowl this year, but this Cheesy Meatball Soup will pack the punch for your party needs. Don’t wait to put together this easy make-ahead recipe before the big game!
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