Our Heritage

Diehl Fields builds a seed plant. John Diehl is playing in a Navy P-3 Patrol plane.

John attends Dr. Moore’s TZ school on living tissue analysis.

Diehl Fields cold tests and TZ tests for germination on all soybean lots.

Diehl Fields installs homemade bean ladder and a gravity table to improve seed physiology.

Diehl Fields goes to all rotary combines for seed quality, plus starts cooperative research with Bio Plant.

Diehl Fields releases first bean in Michigan with Brown Stem Rot resistance.

Diehl Fields builds the first soybean plant with 100% bean ladders Acuscreen, Double Gravity and spiral separators.

John learns from the best by having test sites with Dairyland, Asgrow and Callahan Seeds.

Diehl Fields starts their DF line of soybeans. DF 101 wins MSU Trials, the first group 1 to do so.

John learns a lot and lights genetics on fire by joining Asgrow, Callahan and Dairyland with advance research sites.

Diehl Fields starts production and conditioning for Asgrow.

Diehl Fields name officially changes to DF Seeds, Inc.

DF Seeds produces the first GMO soybean seed in Michigan for Asgrow.

With help from his three best friends from Purdue University, DF Seeds becomes a standalone seed company.

DF Seeds doubles the capacity of its seed plant.

In conjunction with Asgrow, DF Seeds exports the first GMO soybean seed to Cargill Canada. DF Seeds starts custom producing and packaging for Asgrow, Channel Bio, Dairyland, CPS, UAP, ZFS and Chemgro.

With Iowa State and ZFS, DF Seeds does the first blow-up of soybeans with zero trans fat oil. DF Seeds receives its Certified Organic certificate.

DF Seeds becomes the first independent seed company with a Vistive™ Modified Oil License from Monsanto.

Chris Varner joins DF Seeds as Operations Manager.

DF Seeds installs state-of-the-art computer-controlled treater. Unit is isolated to maintain organic certification.

Company completes an ownership transition to prepare for long-term growth. Chris Varner becomes president and owner; founder John Diehl becomes research director.

Ownership transition to Tillerman Seeds.

Sister company Legacy Seeds is acquired, enabling DF Seeds to sell Legacy-brand corn and alfalfa in Michigan.

Jan Motz becomes Sales Manager. Feed and Forage Position created.

The focus on development and variety selection continues with the addition of an agronomist to the DF Seeds team.