By DOUG GRAVES

Ohio Correspondent

COVINGTON, Ohio — Earlier this month Ebberts Seeds hosted its annual Customer Appreciation Day at its farm headquarters in Covington. Customers came from all parts of western Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky to enjoy a barbeque pork meal and meet other satisfied Ebberts Seeds customers.

Ebberts, a three-generation seed business, has a strong customer base within a 150-mile radius of its Covington location. Ebberts CEO John Suber and his son, Chris, host this annual gathering as a way of showing their appreciation to a loyal customer base.

“This is a great business to be in because it’s renewable,” John said. “Everyone has to buy this product every year. We kill our customers with kindness and give them a good product.”

Ebberts Seeds is family owned and operated since 1939. The company owns a seed and chemical business in Decatur, Ind., and is holding steady for the company’s third generation. “It all started on this very home farm,” John said. “My grandfather simply started doing hybrid seed production in the late 1930s. We were just like any other seed company at that time in that some survived and some didn’t. We survived and focused on a 125-mile radius of Covington.

“It’s a good area with good people. Our average customer is not the 5,000 to 10,000 acre guy, it’s more the 500 to 1,000 acre customer. We cater to the smaller farm that maybe wants a little more attention. Our customers are under the radar of some of the bigger seed companies.”

Ebberts offers its clients an assortment of corn hybrids as well as varieties of soybeans and wheat. Cover crop seeds include Daikon radish, Australian winter peas, crimson clover, annual rye, cereal rye, fall barley, oats and others. A dozen field grass varieties are available at Ebberts, as well as alfalfa varieties and turf seed.

“We select only the top seed genetics that are best suited for our sales area,” Chris said. “This gives our corn, soybean and wheat varieties a competitive edge against larger national brands that must be select genetics to cover a much broader geography. Our prices are hard to beat for the quality you get.”

Ebberts dealers can be found in Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia and Kentucky, as well.

“We feel our products provide farmers the choices they need to maximize their farm profit potential,” John said. “Our seed lineup offers the latest seed technology and genetics that will increase yields at a reasonable price.”

James and Valerie Maurice of rural Champaign County, Ohio operate a 1,100-acre dairy farm that includes corn, beans, wheat and hay. They’ve been Ebberts’ customers for the past 20 years.

“We keep coming back because we get the most for our money, and the Subers are good to work with,” James said. “The prices are hard to beat for the quality you get.”

Bill and Jan Rider reside in Findlay, Ohio, roughly 100 miles north of Covington. There they tend to corn, wheat and soybeans.

“I’ve run test plots and found that using Ebberts seeds, they’ll yield right up there with the big boys, and they’re cheaper,” Bill said.

While their company may be small, their customer base is strong and growing.

“The seed business is always evolving, especially with all the new technology that’s coming out,” John said. “We just try to stay up with the latest seed technology that’s out there. For example, we now have Roundup-resistant seeds that we didn’t have before, so we’re coming up with new solutions to different seed traits that will fight that.”

For more on Ebberts call 937-473-2521 or go to ebbertsfieldseeds@woh.rr.com