Her path led her to meet her husband, Thom, in Mason City while working at a car dealership. They married last year, making for an eventful season as they celebrated three weddings in their family! Renata now has a blended family that includes Thom’s two children and a granddaughter, Khloe.

Professionally, Renata’s experience in accounts payable spans several years, including three years at Sukup Manufacturing and 23 years as an office manager in Osage. When she saw the opportunity at Latham Seeds, she was excited to join a company closer to home and has enjoyed the warm, close-knit environment here.

In addition to her work in finance, Renata is a talented photographer. Together with her husband, she owns RenaThom Art Vibe Photography, specializing in nature, wildlife and wedding photography. With a studio at home, Renata loves capturing special moments, especially during wedding days. She’s also a passionate quilter, cook, and artist, always finding creative ways to bring her talents to life.

We’re thrilled to have Renata on board and look forward to the expertise, dedication, and creativity she brings to our team. Please join us in welcoming her to Latham Seeds! And enjoy one of her favorite recipes for pecan pie with a twist. 

Raised in Franklin County, Carma has spent her entire life deeply involved in agriculture, from showing livestock in 4-H and FFA as a kid to working for more than a decade on a Quarter Horse farm. As a lifelong animal lover, Carma continues to volunteer at the Franklin County 4-H and FFA horse show each summer. Carma and her husband, Mark, a farmer and cattle producer, now carry on a farming legacy with their son Joe, raising cattle and cultivating corn, soybeans, and alfalfa. Joe is also a Latham® Dealer and serves as the Northwest Member Services Director for the Iowa Cattlemen Association.

Carma’s background in the seed industry spans 31 years. She majored in horse science technology at Kirkwood Community College. Prior to joining Latham, Carma worked in customer service and office coordination at Profi-Seed, AgVenture, and Simplot, where she developed hands-on expertise in soybean seed, shipping, and customer support. Carma says she’s excited to bring this knowledge to Latham Seeds, reconnecting with her love of working with growers and their products. 

“Since starting here, I realized how much I missed working with soybean seed along with the growers who raised them,” Carma says.

Outside the office, Carma stays busy with hobbies like gardening and canning and is actively involved in her local church. She’s thrilled to be part of the Latham team, and looking forward to getting to know our growers, dealers, and her new colleagues. Be sure to stop by and give her a warm welcome the next time you’re in touch with Latham Seeds!

Like many boys who grow up on a farm, Landon Aldinger was fascinated with equipment.
Years later he would combine his fascination with equipment and farming with skills in
technology and engineering to help others get more results using fewer inputs.

Watching big machines on the family farm led to Landon getting a bachelor’s degree in Ag
Engineering from Iowa State University. He then worked nearly seven years as a Senior Design
Engineer for the Toro Company in Minneapolis before his story finally came full circle.

“I really enjoyed my time and my career in the cities,” Landon says. “But when I turned 30, my
priorities started to shift. I was ready to head home and become more involved in the farming
operation.”

Landon had been assisting his father, Mike Aldinger, since 2008 with their seed, chemical and
consulting business. Mike started the business with his father (Landon’s grandfather), Merle.
After Merle retired, the business became Precision Farm Management, using the latest
products to implement more precision ag services like variable rate seeding, fertilizer and
nitrogen.

Besides managing the farming business, Landon runs Aldinger Engineering LLC consulting. He
also spends time “carpet farming” and helping his oldest son, Grady, fix his equipment in their
living room. Landon sees signs of a second-generation engineer/farmer in his son.

“Grady continues to love all things agriculture and equipment,” Landon says proudly. “It is not
uncommon for him to head out to the field for a few hours to ride along and ‘help’ anyway he
can. I love watching his excitement.” Landon and his wife, Kinsey, also have a younger son
named McCoy, who will soon compete with his older brother for the buddy seat.

In addition to raising kids and crops, the Aldingers also raise cattle and pork. Warm and
hearty soups like this one help keep their crew growing.

To wrap up the past year of Food & Family Features, we’re highlighting the top five most viewed blogs from 2019. Each one of the following posts contains a recipe that is special to the family being featured.

Click on the links below to revisit each of these top stories from the past year:

1. Filzens Work Together to Carry on Family Legacy. No matter what job you have, it’s all about relationships. That’s a lesson Latham® seed dealer Dale Filzen learned from his father, and it’s a lesson he’s passed along to his three daughters. Click on the link to read the rest of the story and to download one of the Filzen family’s favorite recipes. Celebrate January soup month by downloading their hearty recipe, which is sure to warm you up on a cold winter’s night.
   

   ---

2. These Super Fans Bring Superb Tailgating Skills to the Table. Ryan and Meg Schon (pronounced “shown”) honed their tailgating skills when their favorite team didn’t have a hope or a prayer of post-season play. The Schons met when they were both students at Iowa State University. Like many Cyclone fans, they’ve been loyal and forever true to their school. Their eternal optimism prompted them to develop the mantra of “Tailgate Victoriously.” It’s a tagline that has become so ingrained in their fall activities that Ryan created Cyclone jerseys with the numbers “19” and “95” to commemorate the year he and Meg were married.
   

   ---

3. Iowa’s First Authenic Farm Stay Opens. One travel trend is local experiences you can’t find at the office, down the street or from mainstream motel or hotel. A North Central Iowa dairy family offers a unique travel experience by combining a sleep experience with agritourism. Dan and Lynn Bolin of Clarksville, Iowa, have opened New Day Dairy Guest Barn. Attached to their dairy barn, the loft of the Guest Barn features two cow-gazing windows. Each of the three bedrooms has a private attached bathroom. A kitchen and dining area finish out the space. You can book a stay now through AirBnB and Sleep with the Cows: AirBnB at bit.ly/sleepwiththecows
   

   ---

4. Broedlow Family is Living their Legacy in Southeastern Wisconsin. Their families owned land adjacent to one another. Their childhood homes were just one mile apart, yet Brady and Lynsey Broedlow didn’t meet until they were both out of high school. Even their first meeting is unusual for teenagers raised in a small town… When she was 16, Lynsey joined the Helenville (Wisconsin) Volunteer Fire Department because her dad has been on the department since he was 18. His service ignited Lynsey’s desire to serve. Brady joined the department a few years later when he turned 18, which is where their love story begins.
   

   ---

5. Pozarski Finds His Niche in Niche Markets. When you think of maple syrup production, chances are you think of New England. You wouldn’t be wrong. However, Wisconsin is the fourth top maple-producing state. Maple syrup is uniquely a North American product due to our climate. Freezing nights and warmer days are required for the sap to flow properly from the trees. Latham® dealer Blake Pozarski of Pozarski Family Farms grew up on a dairy farm and says there are many similarities between dairying and producing syrup. “I joke with my kids, ‘I’m milking trees today’. When you grow up farming, it’s in your blood.”
   

   ---

Meeting our dealers, customers and friends in agriculture is something we truly enjoy. We enjoy telling stories that showcase how farmers are making an impact in the agricultural industry and in their communities.

We’re always looking for a good story to tell – and every family has one! Feel free to call our office at 641.692.3258 or drop us an email at TeamLatham@gmail.com. It would be an honor to share your story on “The Field Position” in the year ahead. We wish you a happy 2020!

To wrap up the past year of Food & Family Features, we’re highlighting the top five most viewed blogs from 2019. Each one of the following posts contains a recipe that is special to the family being featured.

Click on the links below to revisit each of these top stories from the past year:

1. Filzens Work Together to Carry on Family Legacy. No matter what job you have, it’s all about relationships. That’s a lesson Latham® seed dealer Dale Filzen learned from his father, and it’s a lesson he’s passed along to his three daughters. Click on the link to read the rest of the story and to download one of the Filzen family’s favorite recipes. Celebrate January soup month by downloading their hearty recipe, which is sure to warm you up on a cold winter’s night.
   

   ---

2. These Super Fans Bring Superb Tailgating Skills to the Table. Ryan and Meg Schon (pronounced “shown”) honed their tailgating skills when their favorite team didn’t have a hope or a prayer of post-season play. The Schons met when they were both students at Iowa State University. Like many Cyclone fans, they’ve been loyal and forever true to their school. Their eternal optimism prompted them to develop the mantra of “Tailgate Victoriously.” It’s a tagline that has become so ingrained in their fall activities that Ryan created Cyclone jerseys with the numbers “19” and “95” to commemorate the year he and Meg were married.
   

   ---

3. Iowa’s First Authenic Farm Stay Opens. One travel trend is local experiences you can’t find at the office, down the street or from mainstream motel or hotel. A North Central Iowa dairy family offers a unique travel experience by combining a sleep experience with agritourism. Dan and Lynn Bolin of Clarksville, Iowa, have opened New Day Dairy Guest Barn. Attached to their dairy barn, the loft of the Guest Barn features two cow-gazing windows. Each of the three bedrooms has a private attached bathroom. A kitchen and dining area finish out the space. You can book a stay now through AirBnB and Sleep with the Cows: AirBnB at bit.ly/sleepwiththecows
   

   ---

4. Broedlow Family is Living their Legacy in Southeastern Wisconsin. Their families owned land adjacent to one another. Their childhood homes were just one mile apart, yet Brady and Lynsey Broedlow didn’t meet until they were both out of high school. Even their first meeting is unusual for teenagers raised in a small town… When she was 16, Lynsey joined the Helenville (Wisconsin) Volunteer Fire Department because her dad has been on the department since he was 18. His service ignited Lynsey’s desire to serve. Brady joined the department a few years later when he turned 18, which is where their love story begins.
   

   ---

5. Pozarski Finds His Niche in Niche Markets. When you think of maple syrup production, chances are you think of New England. You wouldn’t be wrong. However, Wisconsin is the fourth top maple-producing state. Maple syrup is uniquely a North American product due to our climate. Freezing nights and warmer days are required for the sap to flow properly from the trees. Latham® dealer Blake Pozarski of Pozarski Family Farms grew up on a dairy farm and says there are many similarities between dairying and producing syrup. “I joke with my kids, ‘I’m milking trees today’. When you grow up farming, it’s in your blood.”
   

   ---

Meeting our dealers, customers and friends in agriculture is something we truly enjoy. We enjoy telling stories that showcase how farmers are making an impact in the agricultural industry and in their communities.

We’re always looking for a good story to tell – and every family has one! Feel free to call our office at 641.692.3258 or drop us an email at TeamLatham@gmail.com. It would be an honor to share your story on “The Field Position” in the year ahead. We wish you a happy 2020!