Pratum Co-op Celebrates 75 Years

Compiled by Suz Trusty

Pratum Co-op was formed in 1946 by a handful of growers just east of Salem, Oregon, in a small community called Pratum. The vision was to purchase, store, and market the members’ grain and legume crops. As Oregon farm production swung to turfgrasses, Pratum didn’t just adapt to the evolving market, but lead the way. The core of the company’s 75 years of successful operation is reflected in its mission statement, posted on the homepage of its website (https://pratumcoop.com/), “An agricultural coop dedicated to innovative solutions, excellent service, and long-term relationships.”

Today Pratum Co-op has four business units which are Agronomy, Energy, Seed Processing, and Seed Marketing. The seed marketing is handled through Mountain View Seeds, and now, with Pratum’s latest acquisition, also Landmark Seed Company.

Troy Kuenzi says, “I’m the sixth president of Pratum Coop. My Dad, Bob Kuenzi, became the manager in 1970. We grew up on a farm in the area and Dad was a hobby farmer as well as a full-time businessman. He was working for a competitor when the co-op offered him the position. Dad ran the business for 33 years. He was a big reason why Mountain View Seeds was started.”

Since Pratum is a co-op, you must be a grower to be a member and it’s the members who have input in how the company operates. Only one of the founding member farms is still in existence as such today, though many other original member farms are still involved but have merged and/or otherwise changed ownership over the years.

In 1946, the crops raised on the members’ farms were wheat, oats, barley, vetches, and winter peas and, primarily in the north valley, cannery crops such as beans and corn. In the mid-1950s, many farmers added more wheat and some turfgrasses to their crop rotation program. In the latter 1950s, Pratum invested in seed cleaners to process highland bentgrass, Cascade chewings fescue, and Pennlawn creeping fescue for farmers in the area.

When the price of wheat dropped in the early 1980s, more growers turned to turfgrasses, primarily tall fescues and perennial ryegrasses. Troy says, “The co-op’s growers had very clean fields because of crop rotation, and they farm some of the best soils in the valley. Most had irrigation systems in place. It was the ideal fit for turfgrass production.”

Mountain View Seeds is Founded

Back in the 1990s, when Agribiotech (ABT) was acquiring seed companies, Bob Kuenzi, as manager of Pratum Co-op, was looking for opportunities to broaden the business. He explored the potential of turfgrasses as another option farmer members could grow on contract— with the seed they would produce going to the co-op for processing—and determined it would be a good fit.

Troy says, “At that time, Todd Bond and I were working at Willamette Seed Company in Albany, Oregon, and they were purchased by ABT. My Dad reached out to us, and he posed the question: ‘Are you interested in starting a seed company at Pratum?’ The network of co-op member growers was already in place to raise our seed. They already had tremendous production east of Salem, so we would have an inhouse production mechanism to tap into. And we knew we would have access to an amazingly clean quality of seed. We said yes to that opportunity and Mountain View Seeds was founded in 1998.”

Pratum Co-op is celebrating 75 years; it was established in 1946. This photo was taken around 1960.

The Mountain Views Seeds office of Pratum Co-op as it looks in 2021.

This photo shows the original Mountain View Seeds team. The photo was taken around 2000. Pictured in the front from left to right are Debbie Jackson, Robert Kuenzi, Todd Bond, and Troy Kuenzi. Pictured in the back are Curt Scharer, John Hubbard, Stacy Kuenzi, and Larry Hooper.

The company started with a very simple business plan that was based around two primary objectives. Troy says, “One: we focused on licensing the best varieties from turf research farms around the country. And two: we demanded impeccable customer service. We knew if we could accomplish those two goals, the company would flourish. That business plan sparked our tagline, ‘We Make Buying Grass Seed Easy.’”

Yet, Troy reports, it was tough getting started. ABT was excelling at that point and was the buzz of the industry. “ABT had all the best varieties and germplasm,” he says. “We had the grower production, but we didn’t have a lot of varieties and we had varieties that had no data from the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP). As a startup company, we had little history to convince customers that we were a great seed supplier. It took us three or four years to upgrade our varieties. To accomplish that, we worked with several key researchers, and we developed a relationship with Rutgers University, a leader in cool-season turfgrass breeding in the U.S. We found a niche in overseeding for the golf course market and that focus opened doors for us.”

Then, in 2001, Agribiotech filed for bankruptcy. Some within the industry had been predicting the bankruptcy before it happened because of the astronomical prices they were paying to buy companies, noting there was not enough profit margin within the businesses to make it work. Because ABT was a publicly traded company, potential investors could see it was not profitable so outside funding dried up.

The bankruptcy left many companies without a seed supplier in place. Troy says, “That provided an opportunity for us to get better established with potential customers. We had started to market our improved perennial ryegrasses, like Grand Slam, which was number one in the NTEP trials at the time. We were ready and able to provide the services that had been lost and picked up a good percentage of that market share.”

Pratum Continues to Evolve

Bob Kuenzi’s vision extended beyond agronomy. He started the energy division and invested in a new, high capacity processing plant, seeing the expansion would create potential to spur future growth. That growth has been tremendous in the past five years, reports Troy. “Through organic growth and three acquisitions, we have doubled our company since 2016. We wrapped up our fiscal year on June 30, 2021, and our company-wide sales hit $196 million.”

Pratum Resources

Pratum’s processing plant includes four high capacity unloading pits, 150 bulk bins, and 200,000 square feet of warehouse space, combined with six blending lines equipped to handle 800,000 pounds of seed per day. Their small package line creates innovative designs for products from one to 50 pounds, and they can handle up to 2,000-pound bulk bags, including treated seed. Their shipping processes have been fine-tuned over their 75 years as well. They utilize all major Intermodal (shipping involving more than one form of transportation during a single shipment), LTL (less than truckload), and OTR (long-distance over the road) carriers and have the capacity for staging over 20 truckloads per day.

Troy adds, “At Pratum, we have stressed the importance of leveraging the synergies between our four divisions to drive our overall business. The growth of Mountain View keeps our three processing plants at capacity. Because Mountain View has direct access to the processing plants, we can speak with confidence when stating when the seed will be cleaned and shipped to our customers. Our agronomy team has 18 crop advisors that are ready and able to interact with our member growers throughout the entire process.”

The Research and Development Program Evolves

Turfgrass breeding research and development in the U.S. has been continually evolving. That process garnered increased concentration in the mid-1950s as many Americans flocked to the suburbs and took pride in their beautiful lawns. Now much of that research and development is driven around the five-year NTEP cycles, with the goal to bring out new and improved varieties tailored to market needs, which are increasingly focused on environmental issues and sustainability. Turfgrass seed production increased too, with 800 million pounds now grown in Oregon each year.

In 2008, Pratum partnered with Steve Johnson and started PEAK Plant Genetics. Johnson was running the DLF research farm and, as Troy says, “had a lot of experience. Johnson also had a great relationship with Rutgers and great germplasm coming from their research program and premier researchers such as Dr. Stacy Bonos and Dr. Bill Meyer.”

This photo shows turfgrass seed being harvested.

Troy adds, “That strengthened Mountain View Seeds’ position to market top performing varieties to our customers. We identify emerging industry trends and develop programs to meet identified needs. We investigate the performance of newly developed germplasm and evaluate their potential to fulfill our customers’ needs. “Our varieties and brands have been well received in the sod and sports turf industries. Our biggest success is the 365 SS (super sport) Kentucky bluegrass blend. It is comprised of Bluenote, Legend, and Bolt Kentucky bluegrass varieties, each chosen because of its high ratings in overall turf quality, summer performance, spring green up, and quick establishment. Will Schnell put it to the test on the high-profile Rose Bowl field when he was head groundskeeper there. (Schnell is now a consultant for MVS.) And it has performed well across the nation. It’s rewarding to know that teams such as Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Philadelphia Eagles are playing on your grass!” Turfgrass quality is a fine balance. Troy says, “We can breed to increase drought tolerance and disease resistance, but if that’s our only focus, the yield may be adversely affected. If we focus only on the yield, the inverse relationship may occur. Having the PEAK Plant Genetics research farm here gives us greater opportunity to monitor the R&D process.”

The A-LIST Concept

Mountain View Seeds is one of the five Oregon seed companies that participate in A-LIST, a national nonprofit initiative seeking to test, identify, and promote grass varieties through independent university cooperators that combine high turf quality and low-input performance such as reduced water, chemical, and fertility. Troy says, “We helped develop the testing process, understanding that we need varieties that are more efficient with water usage. And we wanted to help communicate that message throughout the industry. We see A-LIST as a longterm approach to breeding species that can withstand the heat and drought, perform well with less water and fewer inputs—and still give you a reasonable looking turf. Because water in certain areas of the country will be a challenge, we feel species like tall fescue will continue to be more desirable because of its ability to withstand the stresses of heat and drought. It’s all about trying to have the quality we want, while using less water, and rating well in NTEP.”

Landmark Seed Company Joins the Pratum Team

Troy reports the acquisition of the turf portion of Landmark Turf & Native Seed started with a comment made to one of its owners, “Not sure what your transition plan is, but we might be interested.” Troy says, “We liked their marketing strategies and their focus on the sod industry and thought it could be a good fit. After discussion and negotiation, Pratum purchased the turf portion of the company. We are rebranding it as Landmark Seed Company and it will be operating as a separate company from Mountain View Seeds. Aaron Kuenzi is overseeing both brands as Pratum Seed Division Manager.” Landmark will now be tapping into the germplasm from the company’s research and development, which will broaden their offerings. “We’re excited about what Landmark will add to our overall outreach to the turfgrass market. With Landmark and MVS combined, we’ll be providing over seven million pounds of seed for the sod industry.”

A Peek at the Future

The small package line processes products from one to 50 pounds.

Troy says, “We’re still a cooperative, so we need to be relevant for our members, and we’re continually working to reinvent ourselves to keep up with the always changing times. In our companywide mission statement innovation is what we believe will set us apart from the competition. We’re privileged to have team members with doctorates and masters degrees and well-qualified crop advisors. We spend time together strategizing ways to grow cleaner seed in the Willamette Valley, as well as to increase the yields for our growers.” Troy notes several weeds—Poa annua, Poa trivialis, and annual/hybrid ryegrasses—are becoming a huge challenge for the industry that must be mitigated, or it will be a struggle to get the quality that the customers expect. “We’re stringent on our seed production process, understanding the huge impact of contaminants in sod production.” Troy suggests a greater variety of crops to rotate, using a three- or four-year rotation of crops with different growing habits, would help to clean up contaminants from the soil. He says, “While we’ve been trying to bring back clovers and different cover crops for crop rotation, they are not as profitable as turfgrasses.” Thus, Pratum is adopting a more innovative approach. “We’ve invested about one million dollars in development of an autonomous sprayer that can detect Poa annua and

spray it out as it travels across a field at three miles per hour,” says Troy. “Now, in our third year of working with an engineering firm in Illinois, we have a patent on it. Our goal is to hit 80 percent efficiency using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to recognize the weeds based on the differences in color and morphology (the form and structure of the plant). We expect it to be commercially available by 2023.”

Mountain View Seeds Field Day Recap Provided by Jeremy Husen

On a beautiful Oregon spring day customers from around the country gathered to hear the latest updates on all things related to grass seed. As seed companies across the Willamette Valley returned to in-person field days, customers, supporters, and professional end-users showed up in better-than-expected numbers. The Mountain View Seeds Field Day started at PEAK Plant Genetics with a forage focus. The early morning group was treated to a presentation by Butch Katen, dairyman for Diamond K Jerseys, a large dairy located in Tillamook, Oregon. Katen focused on the continued need for highyielding superior quality forages and the importance consistent product availability plays in their business. Mountain View Seeds has been able to supply Butch and other dairies with improved ryegrass varieties including TetraMag, TetraPrime, and TetraSweet to help increase their overall production. The group toured the forage plots and Steve Johnson, president of PEAK Plant Genetics, highlighted the new improved soft leaf tall fescue variety Palatine along with the different maturity orchardgrasses: Rushmore II, Bighorn, Alpine II, and Devour.

The turfgrass tour began after an introduction from Aaron Kuenzi, seed division manager for Partum Seed Companies, with a presentation by Dr. Stacy Bonos, Rutgers University professor of turfgrass breeding, associate director of the Rutgers Center for Turfgrass Science, and director of the turfgrass breeding program of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES). Dr. Bonos spoke about new developments in bentgrass varieties, the breeding program at Rutgers, and the hurdles of breeding bluegrasses compared to tall fescue and ryegrass.

After Dr. Bonos’ presentation, the group reconvened outside to walk the turf plots. Steve Johnson moved through all the species, highlighting the new LS tall fescue and perennial ryegrass varieties along with the new bluegrass varieties. The group also looked at the new overseeding ryegrasses specifically bred for smooth transition. Also answering questions on the tour were MVS consultants Dr. Mike Kenna, recently retired from the USGA, and Will Schnell, recently retired from his duties as head groundskeeper at The Rose Bowl. Dr. Gregg Munshaw, Pratum Seed Companies Turf Agronomist, offered his insights and answered several questions on selecting bluegrasses for BlueMuda applications. Dr. Trent Tate, the newest member of the PEAK Plant Genetics team, also was available to answer questions on current research projects.

Following a great BBQ lunch, the groups embarked on the afternoon tour. Attendees toured the Pratum Agronomy North Center, Pratum Seed Processing, The Mountain View Seeds office and local farm operation for turf production fields. It was a packed day capped off with a wonderful dinner at the Oregon Garden. Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive and everyone left excited for a fall filled with new opportunities and a return to normalcy.

Attendees of the Mountain View Seeds Field Day view a presentation by Dr. Stacy Bonos of Rutgers University.

While Pratum is not staging a huge event to celebrate its 75-year anniversary, it’s proud of the legacy the company has established and sees it as a solid building block for greater things ahead. Troy says, “We see a bright future for the industry. We’re excited about where our company is going and think innovation will continue to be our key to success.”

Suz Trusty is co-editor of Turf News. . All photos courtesy of Pratum Co-op. p.