The new 100-year-old seed company.

Name: Charles Brown

Title: President, Brownseed Genetics and CBSeed
Career: Third generation owner of Bay City, Wisconsin-based seed company; Vice Chair Organic
Seed Committee, American Seed Trade Assn.
AM: Tell us about the founding of Brownseed Genetics.
CB: The Brown family has been in the seed business since 1911, when my grandfather was
fortunate enough to have had excess stored seed following a drought year. Supplies were short, he
sold the excess seed to neighbors in need, and we've been in the seed business ever since. In those
early years, Brown offered open pollinated products, and we began selling hybrids by the late
1920s.
My father picked up where my grandfather left off, and my brother and I came on board in the late
1970s. We purchased the Jacques Seed facility in Prescott, WI, in 1996 and then sold that facility
along with our retail line to Nu-Tech in 2006.
Brownseed Genetics was formed in 2001 to develop and license corn germplasm. We just launched
our new retail brand, CB Seed, in January this year.
AM: Why did you form CB Seed?
CB: Farmers told us they wanted more choices in hybrids with shorter maturities and select traits
that still offer proven high yields. Since 2006, we've been exclusively focused on researching and
developing corn hybrids that perform in northern climates, and we've had outstanding results in
third-party trials with a number of our select trait, conventional and organic options.
As a result, we thought the time was right to sell these hybridsunder our own retail brand of CB
Seed.
AM: What are its competitive advantages?
CB: Because we're focused on the northern U.S., we can offer hybrids that contain only traits
necessary to maximize performance in this climate. As a result, yield is not sacrificed, but our price
point is well below many stacked trait options.
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In addition, we're one of a few remaining corn breeders who specializes in early maturity (less than
100-day RM) conventional hybrids. We believe there is a significant market for conventional
and organic seed and our proprietary research gives us an advantage in providing new products to
an underserved market.
AM: Why do you think it will succeed?

CB: Our products target a number of underserved markets, and we project we will hit our sales
goals by successfully meeting the needs of these producers.
In addition to our select trait and early maturity hybrids, we offer high protein and high-oil corn
hybrids that deliver a premium price to farmers. We've also begun developing markets for the
grain from these hybrids and are currently contracting acres to fill a 5-million bushel order for a
poultry operation in the Mideast.
We also want to become a significant supplier to the organic market by offering certified organic
seed that provides grain and silage with high energy content.
AM: How do you take advantage of today's technology to improve conventional hybrids?
CB: Probably the most significant way we employ technology is through DNA analysis. We work
closely with another area company, BioDiagnostics, to employ marker-assisted breeding. This
process uses DNA-based detection technologies to find any known gene in plants, and apply
molecular markers for genotyping and molecular breeding. It allows us to save a tremendous
amount of time and we can more quickly identify value-added hybrids that offer the most potential
for yield.
AM: What is your sales/distribution system?
CB: We sell through distributors in five states, and we sell directly to the producer when a
distributor is not available. We also license germplasm to several companies in the U.S. and
international markets.
AM: What types of marketing and communications activities are you implementing to support the
brand?
CB: We completed an initial launch in January to put our flag in the ground and let farmers know
that we're here.
To support this initial launch, we produced a full-page ad series that is running in regional farm
publications in Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin. We also are on the web with
www.CBSeed.com, and we have on-going public relations tactics being implemented, including
media relations and an active speaking schedule.
We have seed available to sell for this growing season, but our first big marketing push will be for
the 2012 season, which will be kicked off in September with a celebration to mark our 100year anniversary.
AM: Anything else you think the ag industry would find of interest?
CB: The world's increasing demand for protein will open many new opportunities for companies like
ours. Broilers will be the protein of choice for consumers in many countries, and our high
oil/protein hybrids provide a significant feed efficiency benefit for these birds. We look forward to
serving agriculture for another 100 years by providing grain and oilseeds for the highest quality
livestock and poultry feed available.