Latham Hi-Tech Seeds

Latham Seed was founded in 1947 in Alexander, Iowa, by farmer Willard Latham and his wife, Evelyn. Willard was an innovator, helping farmers in his area protect their oat crops against disease by retrofitting a piece of equipment that helped clean and preserve their crop. Meanwhile, Evelyn ran the office from their kitchen, making numerous trips daily from the house to the outbuildings whenever Willard needed to take a phone call. She was literally the chief cook and bottle washer. Plus, she was the busy mom of four boys under the age of seven with one on the way. Willard began Latham Seeds with oats and later transitioned into soybean production. Three of his sons joined the business in the 1960s-70s and added a sales component to the companys production efforts. The third generation of Lathams added hybrid corn and hi-tech forage to the product lineup, providing farmers with more choices for their field. Willard and Evelyns family home has been converted into company headquarte...