Washington County Weekend Post

2 • W a s h i n g t o n C o u n t y P o s t R e t a i l • 4 - 3 0 - 1 7 "W hat came first, the chicken or t h e e g g ? " Dairyland Seed Marketing Leader TJ Strachota asked with a smirk that said, 'yes we're going down this road.' Dairyland is a West Bend-based farm seed busi- ness located on the north side of town, just across from the McDonalds on the way to Kewaskum. Earlier this month, TJ teamed up with the West Bend non- profit Roots and Branches to host a seminar about seeds at West Bend City Hall. As trite as that age-old question can feel at first, I admittedly find myself ask- ing the same thing every time I see a new sprout in the ground or stare in wonder at the large oak trees that tower over my house. Seeds beget pants, but plants beget seeds and c'est la vie. But TJ wanted to break this down to provide seminar attendees an idea of where seeds come from and what it takes to make a seed. The second in a series about all things horticul- ture, the April 6 Dairyland seminar gave attendees a look into seed types, polli- nation and breeding and production. TJ explained that the American Seed Trade Association breaks seeds into three different divi- sions, which are then bro- ken down further from there. These are row crops, fruits and vegetables and flowers. Dairyland focuses predom- inantly on the row crops, offering corn, soybean, alfalfa and certain grasses, "but a lot of same princi- pals apply when you're talking about the other divisions of seeds," he said. Dairyland was started in 1907 by Andrew and Simon Strachota (TJ's great grandfather). It began as a country trading post and tavern that sold seed out of the back. TJ said they'd collect seeds from clover farmers in the area and take them down to Milwaukee to buy goods for the country tavern. Then the area farmers would come in to buy those goods from the store. It has been passed down through generations of the family. In 1977, TJ's father and two uncles got involved with plant breed- ing programs. Today, they cover a nine-state area in the upper Midwest from North Dakota to Ohio, sell- ing through dealer net- work – district sales man- agers that sell direct to farmers – and farmer deal- ers that sell to their neigh- bors. Dairyland has also established research and product development loca- tions and production and conditioning locations across the country. TJ joined on in 2004 and the company was sold to Dow AgroSciences in 2008. During his seminar, TJ went into plant breeding, the process of improving plants by combining two or more parent plants of spe- cific varieties through con- trolled pollination. The creation of hybrids or new G ne Gardening G ne Gardening with Alison Henderson The story of seeds as told by Dairyland Continued on page 3 TJ Strachota shares information with seminar attendees on cutting crops, a cloning technique done in a greenhouse to expedite the growing process. Locally Owned & Operated W2186 County Y • Knowles (Lomira),WI 53048 | 920 269-1205 CELL 920 251-9689 knowlesgoldandsilver.com KNOWLES GOLD & SILVER KNOWLES GOLD & SILVER Store Hours: 10A-5P Tuesday through Friday, 10A-3P Saturday Experienced ★ Qualified ★ Reliable Look for the digital time & temperature sign in Knowles. GOLD COINS U.S. & Foreign SILVER COINS U.S. & Foreign PAPER MONEY U.S. & Foreign PROOF SETS MINT SETS CIVIL WAR MEMORABELIA WAR RELICS COLLECTIONS & ESTATES Appraisal Services BULLION GOLD U.S. & Foreign BULLION SILVER U.S. & Foreign ALL OLD COINS U.S. & Foreign ALL SILVER DOLLARS DENTAL GOLD GOLD JEWELRY PLATINUM JEWELRY TOKENS 255085005 Hardware... since 1957 255401003 KEWASKUM 900 Fond du Lac Street (Hwy 45 S.) Kewaskum • 262-626-1584 JACKSON W194 N16714 Eagle Drive (next to Piggly Wiggly) Jackson • 262-674-1584 Wisconsin Grown, Hardier, Quality Annuals • Perennials • Begonias Impatiens • Marigolds • Pansies Petunias • Violets • Geraniums Roses • Large Selection of Vegetables Herbs • Jumbo Pots ✃ 3 Packs Annual Flowers $ 1 29 Flats 54 Plants Mix & Match $ 18 99 We Rent Tillers, Thatchers and Aerators save over $ 4 per flat $ 4 99 Perennials $ 2 99 Mulch 2 cubic yards bagged mulch in Top Soil • Fertilizer Manure • Stone Peat Moss • Sand Potting Soil $ 12 99 starting at red, brown, natural, golden each Trea t Mom a t NOW OPEN Hanging Baskets starting at

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