Meet Wehmeyer Seed, one of AgVenture’s Independently Owned and Operated Seed Companies, located in Mascoutah, IL. Founded in 1995, Wehmeyer Seed is a family-owned seed company dedicated to selling AgVenture brand corn, soybean and sorghum seed, as well as operating a successful soybean and wheat seed production and treatment facility.
From left to right: Shane Nicks, Michael Ashpole, Joel Boeschen, John Howell, Michael Webb, Aaron Dale, Dale Wehmeyer and Matt Wehmeyer
Dale Wehmeyer and his wife Lisa started Wehmeyer Seed in 1995 after 11 years of being the Manager of Missouri Foundation Seed for the University of Missouri at Columbia. They moved back to open Wehmeyer Seed Company in her hometown of Mascoutah, Illinois, so the transition was good for their family. We sat down with Dale to hear more about his company and how they work with their customers.
Tell us
about the beginning of AgVenture Wehmeyer Seed.
We are an independent, family-owned seed company. The goal was to replicate Foundation Seed quality and purity standards for the broader, commercial seed production business. We began small, as do most companies, with a few hundred acres of seed production that we were raising and selling.
We partnered with AgVenture seed in 2007 because AgVenture does business differently than other seed companies. Their four core values are the reason why we know AgVenture can bring our customers more bushels and more profit:
- Localized product selection for the best genetic adaptation
- Enhanced seed quality and treatments
- Local ownership, knowledge, and support
- Their proprietary Maximum Profit System™
It is a great partnership with AgVenture! Today we raise over 17,000 acres of soybean seed and wheat seed annually at our seed plant, in addition to other locations for unique variety adaptation.
Who makes up your team? Who helps you with your business?
We are a growing brand and business, and we have an excellent team helping growers increase their APH every year. We are led by Vice President Matt Wehmeyer, who oversees agronomy, sales and marketing.
Our sales team covers Southern Illinois, Northeast Missouri/Southeast Iowa, Mid-Missouri, and Southeast Missouri/Northern Arkansas. They include John Howell (Red Bud, IL), Joel Boeschen (Okawville, IL), Aaron Dale (Memphis, MO) Shane Nicks (Owensville, MO), and Michael Webb (Chaffee, MO).
Michael Ashpole is our newest team member at AgVenture Wehmeyer Seed. He is a sales associate and our licensed drone pilot who will be administering fungicide applications.
Other team members include Lisa Wehmeyer- Vice President of Accounting and Human Resources, Terry Twenhafel- Vice President of Finance, Kristen Wehmeyer- Sr. Manager of Marketing and Communications, James Yarber- Operations Manager, Audra Blanchard- Shipping Coordinator, Dianne Surmeier- Accounting, Nick Yarber- Site Manager, Drew Lohman- Grower Manager, Jim Orr- Production, and an excellent production team.
Besides AgVenture seed, what other goods/services do you offer your customers?
NEW for 2022, we are offering precision drone fungicide applications. These turn-key application services are for corn, soybeans, and wheat. We all know fungicides play an important part in high-yielding crops and our Maximum Profit System™. Applying fungicides with a drone offers a greater ROI due to uniform flight height of 10’ above canopy, constant flight speed, and maximum coverage.
The Maximum Profit System™ is A PROVEN SYSTEM for using AgVenture’s products with year-round agronomic leadership to help you PRODUCE MORE bushels.
What sets you apart from the competition?
Small changes can make a big difference. Here’s how we are different: First, we are independent and family-owned. If you want to talk to ownership, you are welcome to stop by and visit us. Second, we regionalize seed products better than anyone. We identify and produce the best seed for our local environments which increases yields. Third, we back our elite genetics with enhanced seed quality and treatments. Growers get the very best. For growers wanting to push yields even higher, we bring them our proven Maximum Profit System™, designed to raise APH by 20%.
Why should farmers partner with you?
We aren’t just a seed supplier; we are our customers’ partners. And we are confident in our ability to help farmers increase their APH. Check out the variety of ways our DSMs work with our customers to help them produce more bushels and more profit.
Contact Wehmeyer Seed
Visit AgVentureWSC.com or call (618) 566-7022.