Eminent Leader in Agriculture, Family, and Community
County: Day
More than a century ago, Floyd Hansmeier’s Grandpa Henry hopped on a train in Iowa seeking adventure out West. As family lore goes, when the train stopped for the night in Bristol, South Dakota, Henry Hansmeier got a hotel room for the night, overslept, missed the train and never left Bristol.
“He wanted to be a farmer, and he was not afraid to take chances, so he would go down to the Courthouse and buy up land for the price of back taxes – 50 cents to $3 or $4 an acre – and that’s how he got started,” Floyd Hansmeier explained.
Grandpa Henry began growing seed on his farmland to sell to area farmers. This is how Hansmeier and his brother Keith came to be third-generation Day County farmers and owners of Hansmeier & Son, Inc., along with their sister, Louise Oakland. The family has also been in the registered Polled Hereford business for many years.
At 113, Hansmeier & Son, Inc., is one of the oldest seed companies in South Dakota. In addition to seed purchased from other growers, the family also continues the tradition of raising and selling their own certified seed. And while the siblings are partners in the family business, Keith leads the farming operation, and Hansmeier leads the seed business.
With the knowledge that success in the field begins with seed quality, Hansmeier, like his dad and grandpa before him, has spent his career working tirelessly to maintain Hansmeier & Son, Inc.’s legacy of quality seed through genetic selection and testing.
“My dad, Ralph, taught me the ropes of the seed business – I know enough about seed testing to be dangerous,” said the 1968 graduate of South Dakota State University. “I think South Dakota farmers are the best. Testing seed to ensure it is quality and free of weeds is number one because farmers depend on us. If we did not test our seed, we could end up selling seed that would not germinate or a bag of seed that could introduce a noxious weed – untested seed could hurt a farmer’s yields and profits.”
Recognized for their dedication to quality, in 2004 Hansmeier & Son, Inc. was named a Premier Certified Seed Grower by the South Dakota Crop Improvement Association. Before a shipment of seed is sold by Hansmeier & Son, Inc. it undergoes rigorous testing. When it arrives in their Bristol facilities, random samples are drawn from a large percentage of the seed and most samples are sent to South Dakota State University Seed Testing Lab.
Understanding the importance of seed testing, Hansmeier built a strong relationship with South Dakota Crop Improvement Association and South Dakota State University Seed Testing Lab as a customer and supporter.
Investing in the future of plant scientists, breeders, and testers, Hansmeier donates to the SDSU Collegiate Crops Judging Team and created the Ralph and Wanda Hansmeier Scholarship to support plant science students and honor his parents. Hansmeier advocated for and, through Hansmeier & Son, Inc., contributed to the building of the SDSU Seed Technology Laboratory. In 2002, Hansmeier was named SDSU Friend of Plant Science.
Even though Hansmeier, 79, is a self-proclaimed workaholic – in his younger years beginning most days at Hansmeier & Son, Inc. by 7 a.m. and ending them at 11 p.m. – over the years he made time for three additional priorities: family, the community of Bristol and seed industry organizations.
“When it comes to family, what else is there,” said Hansmeier, who prioritized 6 o’clock supper with his wife, Jill and daughters Becky, Amy and Bethany. When their daughters were growing up, Hansmeier also made time to attend most of their events.
In the rural community of Bristol, Hansmeier is known as an employer who takes good care of his employees. Before it was commonplace, Hansmeier & Son, Inc. provided employee health insurance and a profit-sharing program.
“We have a number of folks who have worked for us for 30 or 40 years, so taking care of employees was always important to our family business, it was something that my dad instilled in me,” Hansmeier said.
Hansmeier has given back to his country. He is a Vietnam Veteran where he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. He was also recognized as the Top Military History Student in his class as a Cadet at SDSU and recognized as the Top Student in the Subsistence Officer’s Course at Fort Lee Virginia.
He has given back to the Bristol community: donating to 4-H and FFA programs, maintaining the local cemetery, participating in Veterans Day programs, donning a red suit for Santa Saturday and serving as Treasurer of the Bristol Methodist Church. He also served as Secretary/Treasurer of the Bristol Commercial Club and on the board of directors for Sun Dial Manor.
Throughout his career, Hansmeier has served on the board of directors for Foundation Seed Stocks, South Dakota Crop Improvement Association, South Dakota Seed Trade Association and as President of the Northern Seed Trade Association. He was a charter SODAK genetics seed associate.