Chief Mountain Seed – Mike Hofer
Customer loyalty is vital to Chief Mountain Seed. Before starting his seed business, he was a 20/20 Seed Labs Inc. customer, so he was already familiar with the lab’s expertise.
Growing an idea
Mike started thinking about forage seed production in 2018. He had a smaller farm and was looking for a niche to grow into. He was intrigued by forage seed production, had seen it done successfully in the US, and took inspiration from the operations he knew south of the border.
Combines at work in tall fescue field.
“I was wondering, could we do this in southern Alberta?” says Hofer. I started researching in the summer of 2018, making connections and asking questions. We found good tools around the varieties that would work in our area and planted the first field in 2018.”
He started talking about building a seed plant to process their seeds in 2019. By 2021, the seed plant was operational and specifically designed for forage seed cleaning. Hofer knew that he needed training and started with grader training at 20/20 Seed Labs. Then, he did his ISTA sampling training there as well.
“It was a lot to do at once,” he laughs, “but I knew it was worth getting the expertise and training.”
Deciding on 20/20 Seed Labs for testing, training, and other work was easy. Hofer has learned through working with the team, they were passionate experts who were there to help their customers grow their crops and businesses.
Hofer got a recommendation from local forage seed producers as a good lab to use.
Production
The first year of seed production was the 2020 crop year; the mill was up and running by January 2021 and started sending seed samples to 20/20 for seed testing. Forage seed purity is critical, especially for exporting seed, as Chief Mountain Seed does.
In the plant, they sample according to set protocols for accuracy, and each one is sent to the lab for testing. Purity and export sales testing is critical for forage. It is sold based on the tests, so accuracy at all stages is essential. Everything from field conditions, good agronomic practices, and a well-set up seed plant is vital to success.
Top screen of cleaner separating seed from screenings.
Quality
There have been many ups and downs in the forage seed sector, but quality has come back as the most important factor. Buyers want high-quality seed, so accurate sampling is a critical step so tests can be representative of the entire lot.
The goal is 98% pure seed, so seed lot tests need to be representative of the product—being properly trained in sampling is so important.
At Chief Mountain Seed, they use an autosampler set for frequency. For example, on a 44,000 lb. lot of seed, the autosampler will take a sample every 5 minutes (which means 1.75 kg of seed from that lot, divided according to ISTA protocols), dividing until there are 250-450 gram sample sizes for submission to the laboratory.
The most common is export to the US, asking for AOSA germination, AOSA purity (percentage of pure seed), and AOSA bulk exam (tells what weeds, if any, are present in the lot). They need an APHIS to export, and they will do a TZ, which gives a quick germ if the customer requires it.
Once a test result is obtained, it is forwarded to the buyer, who then uses it in their sales program. The link between accurate sampling, accurate testing, and a trusted certificate of quality is critical to sales and ongoing relationships with customers.
Relationships
20/20 Seed Labs also provides crop inspection services for forage seed fields on their own and their contract growers. Mike has been working with his contract growers on their seed certification process and supporting them with their experience with forage agronomy and testing.
“The inspectors work well for us, and we like that 20/20 offers the same high-quality service in the field as they do in the lab. We have not been disappointed.,” says Hofer.
Customer service is vital in all stages of seed production, and the lab offers quick turnaround, value-added support, and high-quality service. For example, if he finds a weed or a seed, he is unsure of, he can text it to the lab. He sent it after hours and got a response very quickly—and he appreciated it.
There is no local option to get a mill check done to ensure it is set correctly. Hofer ships his mill check samples to the lab, often needing a quick turnaround. Many times, he gets a same-day or next-day response to the request. The high quality of service is a big reason for his loyalty as a customer.
Also, seed test reporting differs between Canada and the US. 20/20 ensures that the reporting meets the needs of his US customers.
As a smaller company, their focus is to be a high-quality source to fill a niche in the forage seed market. They are expanding slowly by adding growers, looking for quality perspectives rather than a large number of growers. Quality is the most important part of their business.
In conversation, people often suggest trying other labs, but Mike stays with 20/20 because of the level of service and the responsive, expert team that can help with challenges and provide support. Having an expert team who can quickly address issues is huge, and they are thankful for it.
With his farm and business, Hofer prefers a perspective of learning and growth. 20/20 Seed Labs has helped him navigate bureaucratic paperwork for certificates and programs, which he really appreciates. Moving forward and always growing fits well with the 20/20 motto of “Never Stop Growing.”
Beautiful sunrise on the night cut fescue.
