Author Archives: John Latham, President

About John Latham, President

John Latham serves as president of Latham Hi-Tech Seeds. Prior to founding his own seed corn business in April 2004, he spent 15 years as a regional sales manager and as sales director for his family’s soybean-only business. John earned a bachelor’s degree in Ag Business from Iowa State University, and then worked for two years as a production agronomist with Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. A strong advocate in the seed industry, John has served as president of the Iowa Seed Association and is active in the American Seed Trade Association.

Teen Farm Labor is Vital in Rural Areas

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Photo courtesy of Jeff Heinz/The Globe Gazette

Picking up rocks, baling and detasseling provide the lion’s share of summer employment opportunities for pre-teens and teens in the Upper Midwest. Such jobs are a boon to the youths’ bank accounts and also help provide them with valuable work experience, plus they help fill a need that farmers and agribusiness owners have to get these jobs done usually within a limited window of time.

As the owner of a family seed business, I’m greatly concerned about the impacts and implications of the U.S. Department of Labor’s proposed changes. These rules, if enacted, would prohibit youth from working on a farm or ranch that is not directly owned by their parents – you’re not exempt if your family farm is structured as an LLC or incorporated – as farm hands under the age or 16 would be prohibited from working in cultivation or harvesting crops.

More than 100,000 individuals are employed each growing season to detassel hybrid seed corn in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas and Washington. Literally hundreds of thousands of workers are needed at one time because the detasseling season is only two to four weeks long. The living, breathing nature of corn plants means that crews only have a limited amount of time to get the job done during critical production stages.

Detasseling is a necessity when producing commercial seed corn. While detasseling machines are used, they don’t remove each and every tassel. It’s literally a hands-on job to ensure all unwanted tassels are removed, which allows for cross-pollination between designated male and female plants. Cross-pollination, rather than self-pollination, leads to hybrid vigor and also can be attributed to higher yields needed to feed a rapidly growing world population.

Because detasseling is a such a necessary task and is admittedly hard work, it pays quite well. Detasslers are paid by experience, ranging from more than minimum wage to $20 per hour for experienced workers. The national median pay is $9.64 per hour, making it one of the better-paying summer jobs for teenagers. The thousands of dollars a teen makes during one season goes a long way toward buying designer jeans, gaming systems and filling the gas tank.

What else can kids living in rural communities – yes, even those who live in town – get paid this kind of money for summer employment if they’re not allowed to provide farm labor? There are only so many lifeguards and grocery store workers needed here. (Click here to see the HUGE economic impact agriculture has on Franklin County alone.) Plus, the workforce is limited in rural areas like Franklin County, Iowa, where about 20% of the population is of retirement age. With such a small pool of applicants, who will supply the necessary labor in these rural areas if teenagers are prohibited from working?

If your family or your business would be impacted by the proposed “child labor” rule changes, please take the time to make your voice heard. Click here to submit your comments online. To submit written comments, reference RIN 1235-AA06 in your letter and mail it to:

The Wage and Hour Division
U.S. Department of Labor, Room S-3502
200 Constitution Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20210

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Comment by Dec. 1 on Impacts of “Child Labor” (Part I)

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Today and tomorrow I’ll be in Kansas City, meeting with farm broadcasters at their annual convention. I plan to visit with them about the unintended consequences some proposed rule changes could have on the agricultural community in general and on the seed industry in particular.

One topic of discussion will be probable impacts of tightened rules regarding Child Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor in September proposed changes that could prohibit children from working on a farm or ranch that is not directly owned by their parents. Under the proposed rules, farm workers under the age of 16 would be prohibited from working in cultivation and harvesting crops. They also would be prohibited from working at country grain elevators, feedlots and other agribusinesses.

Ironically, the same “family farmers” that regulators are trying to exempt from the proposed rule changes will likely be impacted the most. Ownership arrangements of farming operations have changed over time as farms and ranches pass from one generation to the next. It’s common for siblings to jointly own and operate farms. It’s also common for extended families and neighbors to form legal partnerships. The proposed new child labor rules, however, could fundamentally alter these dynamics.

Regulators must closely examine how production agriculture operates today. They need to gain a better understanding of how business is conducted in rural America before these changes are implemented. But, they can’t do it without your help!

More than ever, the agricultural community needs to unite and be heard. Submit your comments before December 1, 2011 to the Department of Labor. To submit written comments, reference RIN 1235-AA06 in your letter and mail it to:

The Wage and Hour Division
U.S. Department of Labor, Room S-3502
200 Constitution Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20210

Click below for additional background information and how proposed rule changes will impact agriculture.

“Refuge Made Simple” by Latham

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For years, the word “refuge” could bring on an unwelcome headache to corn growers. Determining how many units of a refuge hybrid were needed and in which configuration to plant them was confusing. Now Latham’s Refuge in a Bag (RIB) is making the complex world of refuge simple.

The RIB concept involves mixing refuge seed with both the corn borer and rootworm insect protected corn seed, so growers have everything they need to be refuge compliant in just one bag. Growers are no longer required to weigh adjacent versus in-field configurations; they can simply open the bag and pour.

At Latham Hi-Tech Seeds, growers will be able to purchase the first single-bag RIB solution for the 2012 season: Genuity® SmartStax® RIB Complete™ Corn, a blend of 95% traited seed and 5% refuge seed. When growers begin looking to plant RIB products, it’s important to remember that yield comes first. Growers shouldn’t have to plant a product that may have yield drag in order to receive all of the other great benefits that come with RIB. We’ve found 5% products provide the simplicity wanted without sacrificing yield. Be aware, however, not all RIB products are created equal.

Whether you’re making decisions on traits and genetics or weighing RIB products, the focus should remain on what will always be most important. Genetics make yield; traits protect yield.
At the end of the day, the product needs to be the right fit for a grower’s farm.

For more tips on selecting the right seed for your situation, visit www.thefieldposition.com.