Millborn Seeds, Inc. acquires Kaste Seed, maintains family-owned legacy and superior seed quality

Millborn Seeds, Inc. acquires Kaste Seed, maintains family-owned legacy and superior seed quality

White prairie clover grown by Kaste Seed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 21, 2024
Contact: Laura Vsetecka, laurav@millbornseeds.com

(BROOKINGS, SD, Monday, October 21, 2024) – Millborn Seeds, Inc., a family-owned seed company dedicated to enriching land and lives for more than 37 years, continues their tradition of upholding the legacy of specialty seed businesses with the acquisition of Kaste Seed near Fertile, Minnesota.

Millborn focuses on creating an integrated seed supply chain to deliver more than 1,200 species of seed solutions to farmers, ranchers, and landowners in North America. Kaste Seed specializes in native grass and wildflower seed production and is known throughout the industry for their superior seed quality.

“My father Paul, my wife Colleen, and myself are happy to be handing our business off to the Millborn organization. The three of us aren’t getting any younger and it’s time for an infusion of energy and vision. We know that they will uphold our reputation within the seed trade and provide a great place to work for our employees,” shared Garth Kaste, President of Kaste Seed.

Located near Fertile, MN, Kaste Seed is an ideal fit for Millborn, who continues to invest in equipment, facilities, and people to develop an integrated seed supply chain throughout the United States and Canada.

“Millborn’s goal is to create an integrated supply chain and provide the highest quality seed products for our customers. We often find a connection with family-owned seed businesses because we know how proud they are of the legacy they’ve created, and we’re committed to upholding that,” shared Matt Fenske, Owner and CEO of Millborn Seeds. “We are excited that Garth and his team will stay on to ensure a smooth transition for everyone we work with,” he adds.

Kaste Seed’s proximity to Canada also aligns well with Millborn’s recent acquisition of Union Forage in Calgary, Alberta. This acquisition will allow the company to expand their reclamation seed options for customers in Canada, as well as the United States.

Kaste Seed will begin operating as a Millborn location in late 2024. Kaste Seed team members will maintain their current roles and become part of the Millborn Seeds team.

For more information about Millborn, visit www.millbornseeds.com.

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About Millborn

With high-quality seed products, a unique, vertically integrated supply chain, and a team of experts who understand the industry, Millborn is the single source for agriculture, conservation, reclamation, and commercial seed needs. For more information, visit MillbornSeeds.com.

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Millborn offers Nebraska farmers access to locally grown, certified winter wheat and triticale varieties this fall

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 6, 2024
Contact: Laura Vsetecka, laurav@millbornseeds.com

(BROOKINGS, SD, August 6, 2024) – Millborn, an independently owned seed company dedicated to enriching land and lives for more than 37 years, owns and operates seed production facilities in Imperial and Hemingford, Nebraska. Both locations will offer trusted hard red and white winter wheat varieties from AgriPro®, WestBred®, and PlainsGold® this fall.

As a trusted name in the seed industry, Millborn is thrilled to offer locally grown, high-quality wheat varieties to farmers and ranchers. Renovo Seed Sales Account Manager Matt Metzger says that the company’s goal is to provide customers with the best possible seed, from farmers they can trust.

“Farmers and ranchers need products they can count on. That’s why we’re excited to offer high-quality wheat that’s grown and processed right here in Nebraska. It’s something that is just as important to us as it is to them,” said Metzger.

Millborn, the family-owned company headquartered in South Dakota, has been intentional in their efforts to develop an efficient seed supply chain throughout North America. Their purchase of former Prairie Sky Seeds in Hemingford and former Luhrs Certified Seed in Imperial expanded their footprint in the western plains, increasing access to diverse seed options for farmers and ranchers in the area.

Tom Luhrs, former owner of Luhrs Certified Seed, now Millborn, in Imperial, Nebraska, says he is looking forward to the upcoming wheat season with Millborn.

“I’m excited to see Millborn continue the great service and wheat expertise that my team always worked for in Imperial. We’re growing, cleaning, and packaging the wheat right here in Nebraska, so customers can trust that the quality of wheat they’re getting from Millborn is top tier,” shares Luhrs.

Millborn also offers trusted hard white winter wheat varieties, many of which are eligible for the Ardent Mills Ultragrain program. This program allows growers to take advantage of a premium offering in select markets.

Millborn locations in Hemingford and Imperial will also offer triticale varieties and other cool-season crops from Renovo Seed, Millborn’s in-house seed brand offering pre-built, proven to work seed mixes for forages, cover crops, small grains, and conservation seed.

Customers can purchase proven, reliable wheat varieties at all Millborn locations this fall. To book your wheat today, call Millborn in Imperial at 308.251.6884 or in Hemingford at 308.708.7574, or visit www.renovoseed.com.

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About Millborn

With high-quality seed products, a unique, vertically integrated supply chain, and a team of experts who understand the industry, Millborn is the single source for agriculture, conservation, reclamation, and commercial seed needs. For more information, visit MillbornSeeds.com.

About Renovo Seed

Renovo Seed is a visionary in the seed industry, focusing on positive land use solutions. Backed by Millborn’s powerful supply chain, Renovo Seed works to improve the resiliency of the land for generations to come with a robust seed lineup and unmatched team of experts who design practical, tailored solutions for farmers, ranchers, and landowners. For more information, visit RenovoSeed.com.

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Millborn Seeds acquires Luhrs Certified Seed, expands production capability in Western Plains

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 11, 2024
Contact: Laura Vsetecka, laurav@millbornseeds.com

(BROOKINGS, SD, Monday, March 11, 2024) – Millborn Seeds, a seed company dedicated to enriching land and lives for more than 37 years, is continuing their focus on being visionaries in the seed industry by expanding their footprint through the acquisition of Luhrs Certified Seed in Imperial, NE. Millborn focuses on creating an integrated supply chain to deliver more than 1,200 species of seed solutions to farmers, ranchers, and landowners in all 50 U.S. states and abroad. Millborn’s expansion into Imperial, NE will create increased accessibility of diverse seed solutions throughout the Western Plains and all North America.

“Millborn aligns well with our goals and values at Luhrs, so we knew Millborn was the right fit,” says Tom Luhrs, owner of Luhrs Certified Seed. “We want to improve the seed supply chain for all producers, and that’s what Millborn is all about.”

Located in Imperial, NE, Luhrs Certified Seed is positioned in the heart of the Western Plains. They have exceptional seed production facilities, including two cleaning lines and large processing capacity. This makes the company an ideal fit for Millborn, who continues to invest in equipment and facilities that move the seed industry forward.

“Millborn’s goal is to create an integrated supply chain and provide the highest quality seed products for our customers. The addition of Luhrs Certified Seed allows us to reach farmers, ranchers, and dealers in the Western Plains faster, and with the highest quality product,” shares Matt Fenske, CEO of Millborn. “We’re excited to add the Luhrs personnel to our team and get involved in the Imperial community,” he adds.

This acquisition will allow Renovo Seed, the go-to-market brand of Millborn, to expand their distribution network into the Western Plains, as well. Shannon Kubik, Brand President at Renovo Seed, says the new facilities will improve accessibility of diverse seed options for farmers and ranchers.

“Renovo Seed is committed to making forage, cover crop, and conservation seed easy to access and simple to use on farms and ranches across the country. The Luhrs facility in Nebraska will allow us to serve our customers and dealers in the west even better,” Kubik shares.

For more information about Millborn, visit www.millbornseeds.com. To learn more about Renovo Seed and their product lineup, visit www.renovoseed.com.

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About Millborn

With high-quality seed products, a unique, vertically integrated supply chain, and a team of experts who understand the industry, Millborn is the single source for agriculture, conservation, reclamation, and commercial seed needs. For more information, visit MillbornSeeds.com.

About Renovo Seed

Renovo Seed enters the seed industry as a visionary in positive land use solutions. Backed by Millborn’s powerful supply chain, Renovo Seed works to improve the resiliency of the land for generations to come with a robust seed lineup and unmatched team of experts who design practical, tailored solutions for farmers, ranchers, and landowners. For more information, visit RenovoSeed.com.

Download this press release here.

Millborn Seeds expands North American footprint with acquisition of Union Forage in Calgary, Alberta

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 7, 2024
Contact: Laura Vsetecka, laurav@millbornseeds.com

(BROOKINGS, SD, Thursday, March 7, 2024) – Millborn Seeds is expanding their North American footprint with the acquisition of Union Forage in Alberta, Canada. The acquisition further delivers on Millborn’s commitment to create a vertically integrated seed supply chain. Union Forage, located in Calgary, is known as Canada’s forage seed innovator, closely aligning with Millborn’s mission of enriching land and lives by delivering more than 1,200 species of seed solutions to farmers, ranchers, and landowners across North America.

“Union Forage focuses on selling perennial and annual forages through a network of top-tier dealers. We are ready to make a bigger impact on the land and the people who serve it, and we know Millborn is the right fit to grow this market,” shared Geoff Barker, General Manager of Union Forage.

Union Forage was established in 2014 and has built a dealer-focused seed business that is complimentary to Millborn and their go-to-market brand, Renovo Seed. The acquisition of Union Forage allows Millborn to continue their growth trajectory throughout North America, and enables Canadian customers access to a broader portfolio of seed solutions.

“Millborn’s goal is to create an integrated seed supply chain and provide the highest quality products for our customers. Union Forage’s established dealer network and product offering is top-tier and allows us to reach even more producers in Canada,” says Matt Fenske, CEO of Millborn. “We’re looking forward to adding Union Forage to the Millborn team and advancing the seed supply chain in North America,” he adds.

Union Forage is closely aligned with the needs of the customer, as they were developed from a need to evolve grazing plans for the farming and ranching community in western Canada.

“The idea for Union Forage was born from my need to extend the grazing season for our family-owned yearling and cow-calf operation north of Calgary. Since then, we’ve led the way in Canada by using different forage blends to achieve this for all cattlemen, as well as improving soil health, lowering grazing costs, and decreasing fertilizer inputs. We are looking forward to continuing to support producers throughout Canada with the Millborn team,” says Graeme Finn, Union Forage founder, president and Senior Forage Specialist.

The acquisition will allow Union Forage to integrate Renovo Seed’s pre-built, proven to work seed mixes into their outstanding existing lineup. Union Forage will also continue to offer their existing lineup, including silage corn, in Canada. Shannon Kubik, Brand President of Renovo Seed, says the brands will positively impact one another.

“Union Forage has a well-established dealer network and a product lineup aligned with Renovo’s product offerings. The brands will work together to share expertise and build a robust portfolio of pre-built seed mixes that simplify forage, cover crop, conservation, and food plot seed,” Kubik shares.

Union Forage officially became a Millborn location on March 6, 2024 and will continue to operate as Union Forage in 2024.

For more information about Millborn, visit www.millbornseeds.com. To learn more about Renovo Seed and their product lineup, visit renovoseed.com.

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About Millborn

With high-quality seed products, a unique, vertically integrated supply chain, and a team of experts who understand the industry, Millborn is the single source for agriculture, conservation, reclamation, and commercial seed needs. For more information, visit MillbornSeeds.com.

About Renovo Seed

Renovo Seed enters the seed industry as a visionary in positive land use solutions. Backed by Millborn’s powerful supply chain, Renovo Seed works to improve the resiliency of the land for generations to come with a robust seed lineup and unmatched team of experts who design practical, tailored solutions for farmers, ranchers, and landowners. For more information, visit RenovoSeed.com.

Download this press release here.

Millborn Seeds Scales Production & Efficiency of Seed Industry through Acquisition of State Line Seed Company

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 11, 2023

Contact: Laura Vsetecka, laurav@millbornseeds.com

(BROOKINGS, SD, Tuesday, April 11, 2023) – Millborn Seeds, a seed company dedicated to enriching land and lives for over 36 years, is leading the way in scaling production and efficiency in the seed industry through their acquisition of State Line Seed Company in Sherman, SD. Through this acquisition, Millborn Seeds will continue to expand their focus on procuring and delivering the highest quality seed products to farmers, ranchers, and landowners in all 50 U.S. states and abroad.

Centrally located in Sherman, SD near Interstates 29 and 90, State Line Seed Company is a custom seed cleaning facility positioned to serve customers throughout the United States. This makes State Line Seed Company an ideal fit for the Millborn organization, as Millborn continues to invest in equipment and facilities that move the seed industry forward.

“With a vision to provide the highest quality products to our customers, State Line Seed Company is a great addition to the Millborn organization. The location and facilities will allow us to grow our production capabilities and move product to our customers even quicker through our advanced network of production and distribution,” Matt Fenske, CEO of Millborn Seeds.

Millborn Seeds has completed the acquisition of State Line Seed Company and will look to expand production in the facility in 2023 and beyond.

For more information on Millborn Seeds, please visit www.millbornseeds.com.

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About Millborn Seeds: With over 36 years in the seed industry, the Millborn Seeds team is focused on being trailblazers in resilient land use. Millborn Seeds offers specialized products that fit growers’ needs with over 1200 species of seed and are a global grower partner, serving customers in all 50 U.S. states and abroad in several countries. In 2022, Millborn Seeds expanded their headquarters in Brookings, SD and added a state-of-the-art blending and packaging line. Investments in facilities, technologies, and processes are imperative, as Millborn Seeds leads the way as visionaries in the seed industry.

Millborn Seeds Expands Vision for Seed Industry through Acquisition of Prairie Sky Seed in Nebraska

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 10, 2023

Contact: Laura Vsetecka, laurav@millbornseeds.com

(BROOKINGS, SD, Friday, March 10, 2022) – Millborn Seeds, a seed company dedicated to enriching land and lives for over 36 years, is continuing their focus on being visionaries by expanding their retail, distribution and processing footprint into Nebraska through the acquisition of Prairie Sky Seed in Hemingford, NE. Millborn Seeds delivers customized seed solutions to farmers, ranchers, and landowners in all 50 U.S. states and abroad, and will continue to focus on procuring and delivering the highest quality seed products as they expand their production capacity into Nebraska.

Prairie Sky Seed is a state-of-the-art seed conditioning facility, which makes it the ideal fit for the Millborn Seeds family, as Millborn continues to invest in the industry’s most sophisticated tools to bring the best products to their customers’ operations.

“Our focus at Millborn is to enrich land and lives by providing the highest quality products for our customers. The addition of Prairie Sky Seed to the Millborn family is a great fit for us, as Prairie Sky Seed has top-of-the-line facilities that can serve the local area and enables us to expand production and cleaning operations to support our broader network of dealers and customers. We look forward to being a part of the Hemingford community and plan to expand existing plant operations,” Matt Fenske, CEO of Millborn Seeds. “We plan to bring on new Millborn team members in the Hemingford area and increase production for the 2023 crop season and into the future.”

Prairie Sky Seed will officially become a Millborn Seeds location on April 1, 2023.

For more information on Millborn Seeds, please visit www.millbornseeds.com.

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About Millborn Seeds: With over 36 years in the seed industry, the Millborn Seeds team is focused on being trailblazers in resilient land use. Millborn Seeds offers specialized products that fit growers’ needs with over 1200 species of seed and are a global grower partner, serving customers in all 50 U.S. states and abroad in several countries. In 2022, Millborn Seeds expanded their headquarters in Brookings, SD and added a state-of-the-art blending and packaging line. Investments in facilities, technologies, and processes are imperative, as Millborn Seeds leads the way as visionaries in the seed industry.

Millborn Seeds Leading Specialty Grains & Oilseeds Industry into the Future

(BROOKINGS, SD, Tuesday, September 14, 2022) – Millborn Seeds, a specialty seed company dedicated to enriching land and lives for over 35 years, is expanding their focus on being trailblazers in sustainable land use. Currently, Millborn Seeds delivers customized specialty seed solutions to farmers, ranchers, and landowners in all 50 U.S. states and will continue in their mission of supporting producers by creating a better system for on-farm crop rotations with a focus on cover crop seed through their project with the USDA’s Climate-Smart Commodities program. With a focus on five specialty grain and oilseed products (oats, rye, flax, buckwheat, and winter camelina), the pilot project will support farmers as they look to diversify their crop rotation, address seed supply chain issues in products that are important in cover crops throughout the United States, and develop milling, food processing, and pet food markets that focus on verified climate smart grains and oilseeds.

“Our team at Millborn Seeds has always been dedicated to understanding the land and are truly the best in the field. We have the vision and ability to support producers as they build on-farm crop rotations that are in the best interest of their operation and future generations to come. With this project, we can focus on expanding the opportunities for farmers, ranchers, and landowners in the cover crop market while also continuing to advance adoption of regenerative agricultural practices. Future generations depend on the decisions we make on our land today, and we are excited to continue helping those interested in exploring, diagnosing, and building a plan for the land for today and the years to come,” Matt Fenske, CEO of Millborn Seeds.

For more information on Millborn Seeds, please visit www.millbornseeds.com. More information on the USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities can be found at https://www.usda.gov/climate-solutions/climate-smart-commodities/projects.

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About Millborn Seeds: With over 35 years in the specialty seed industry, the Millborn Seeds team is focused on being trailblazers in sustainable land use. Millborn Seeds offers specialized products that fit growers’ needs with over 1200 species of seed and are a global grower partner, serving customers in all 50 U.S. states and abroad in several countries. In 2021, the company impacted over three million acres of seedings throughout North America. The Millborn Seeds team can help anyone interested in exploring, diagnosing, and building a plan for the land.

For questions or additional information, please contact Laura Vsetecka at laurav@millbornseeds.com.

Renovo Seed Opens Rapid City Location

To better serve customers, Renovo Seed opened a Rapid City, S.D. location January 1, 2019.

Trusted to provide experienced, on-sight advice to those who purchase their quality grass seed, the Brookings-based company opened the Rapid City location in response to increased demand for their products in western South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana.

“Renovo’s mission is to “enrich the lives and land of those we serve.” This western South Dakota location gives us the local presence to better serve customers throughout the region,’” explains Clint Johnson, retired Millborn Seeds CEO.

Cattle producer Matt Metzger is your go-to specialist

Forage and Cover Crop Specialist Matt Metzger relocated to provide in-person service to ranchers and commercial contractors. The cattle producer says it just makes sense to live closer to the customers he serves.

“Every project and end-goal are unique. I’m here to provide customers with enhanced, hands-on field experience and advice to ensure Renovo’s specialty products thrive,” explains the animal science graduate of South Dakota State University.

Whether a rancher is seeking native seeding options for rangeland, forage blends to enhance pastureland or alfalfa; or a contractor needs turf seed and erosion control products for reclamation projects, Metzger says Renovo Seed is now a local, go-to resource.

“We’ve been commuting to serve our customers in western South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana. I’m here now, and eager to put my knowledge and Renovo’s products to work for customers. It’s rewarding to help them find innovative ways to meet their goals and ultimately improve their profitability,” Metzger says.

In addition to one of the most diverse product lineups in the marketplace, Metzger adds that the decades-old company has the logistics team in place to help customers fulfill their seed needs in a timely manner.