The Journey of Life Through First the Seed

The Journey of Life through First-The Seed

Andrew Lauver, Age 3, Lauver Family Farms, 1993

I never realized how much the seed industry would impact my life as a young child running through the corn fields behind my father, where for every one step he took I ran three to keep up with him on our family farm in Iowa. The 5th generation farm along with 4-H, whose motto is to “Make the Best Better”, ingrained in me the importance of hard work, community involvement, personal tenacity, time management, and negotiation skills to enhance the lives of others.

Lauver Family Farms, 2009

Without hesitation and an interest in learning more, my apprenticeship and orientation to the seed industry began when I became engaged in activities on my family farm and in extracurricular activities through 4-H and FFA. A new world waited outside the farm gate, so I took the next step to enroll in college to fuel my passion for agriculture at Iowa State University. When I enrolled at ISU, I intended to spend several years there and return home after graduation, but I realized the vast world that waited due to the many opportunities in agriculture, and specifically the seed industry.   

The Iowa State University career fair opened my eyes to the immense opportunities, where over 200 companies were present. After meeting the many professionals attending, I accepted an internship with MaxYield Cooperative and spent the summer scouting crops and interacting with farm families. Upon returning to ISU in the Fall, my heart was set on the seed industry and I began to look for future opportunities. It was during this time I became aware of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) through their Campus Connections program. I applied with great interest and was provided an opportunity to attend the ASTA Annual Conference in 2011.

ASTA Metors Jim Schweigert and John Chism

While working for Monsanto’s Channel brand that summer, I recall the day I took off from the airport to attend the ASTA annual conference in Huntington Beach, CA. The impact my first ASTA experience has had on my career trajectory has been unbelievable. It was there that I realized the potential for a career within the seed industry as I networked with industry leaders who have committed their lives to such a noble career by feeding the world. The inspiration that ensued and the mentoring that has occurred as a result have been extremely important to my growth as a young professional. 

 After returning to campus with the tools I gained from the Campus Connections program, I recognized an even greater disconnect between rural and urban agricultural education. Seeking an opportunity to positively influence and address this issue, I began writing for the Iowa State Daily, our campus newspaper, which was missing a focus on agriculture. I regularly composed agricultural opinion articles to provide insight into industry issues such as GMO awareness, leveraging the resources ASTA has available for those with questions to find answers. This initiative led to learning more about ASTA’s resources to advocate for agriculture through Manjit Misra, who is actively involved as a member and a professor at Iowa State. In June of 2012, I once again attended the American Seed Trade Association’s annual conference in Washington, DC on a scholarship from Manjit and Iowa State University. While in DC, we visited the congressional offices of our national leaders and I was able to understand how local, state, and federal regulations, laws, and guidelines affect seed businesses.    

Lauver with Senator Grassley, 2013

Possessing an intrinsic motivation to truly make a difference as a result of this experience through ASTA, I pursued an opportunity to learn from outstanding leaders on Capitol Hill as a Legislative Intern in the United States Senate. An opportunity enabled by ASTA through my interest in giving back to the state and country which has given so much to me, I witnessed firsthand the positive impact an agricultural enthusiast can make.  This experience provided unique perspectives on Capitol Hill relating to issues such as immigration and agriculture, strengthening interest in serving others throughout the seed business and rural America.  

Lauver on the Prairies of Western Canada, 2014

Enabled by opportunities within the seed business and industry mentors through ASTA, I capitalized on this unique experience by developing a global perspective, when I moved to Canada on an international work assignment for DuPont Pioneer. Relocating to a new environment, I relied heavily on industry mentors I had met through ASTA’s Campus Connections program and joined the Future Seed Executives Program to  invest in personal and professional development as a young professional.

Lauver operating a UAV while scouting crops, 2015

I returned to the U.S. in December of 2014 on a domestic business assignment to sell corn and soybeans across the state of Wisconsin and began a Master’s program at Kansas State University. It was yet again that my ASTA Campus Connections experience was the reason for success as I was promoted to this position by one of my managers who had attended the 2011 ASTA conference where we first met.

In 2015, an opportunity presented itself to sell precision agriculture services across Western Iowa and also farm with my family. Digital technology is rapidly evolving and ASTA is providing support at the front of the revolution that is occurring right before our eyes as agriculturalists. Assisting farmers with variable rate seeding and variable rate nitrogen is not only good for the environment, but also good for farm gate profitability. Yet again I noticed the connection between the policies that affected the farmers at the farm gate and the priorities of the American Seed Trade Association.

Throughout my time building my precision services business I remained connected to ASTA through the Future Seed Executives (FuSE). This was an outstanding way to have communication with industry peers who worked for companies across the country, even though I was isolated to a specific sales area and work on the farm.  

Lauver analyzing corn emergence on the family farm, 2017

After serving on several local Farm Bureau and Corn Grower’s boards I felt the desire to develop a greater understanding of the connection between the law and the farm gate, so I enrolled in Agricultural Law School at Drake University. Drake Law does an excellent job of providing a practical legal education and I knew right where I wanted to spend the summer after my first year of law school, which was immersed in agricultural policy on Capitol Hill with the American Seed Trade Association.

Over the course of the summer, I was actively involved in projects ranging from composing information to be reviewed by White House staff, meeting with members of Congress to discuss priorities for our ASTA members, and composing information related to the Food Safety Modernization Act. The American Seed Trade Association is a champion for seed companies across the country and I am grateful for my experience to contribute to such an important organization within the fabric of American agriculture. I look forward to contributing to and giving back to the seed industry throughout my career, since it has done so much to enhance my personal and professional quality of life.

Lauver at the American Seed Trade Association, 2018