b'Be Upfront About the Seed IndustryThough most folks from the seed sector have been taught to be humble, Scott Sanders, general manager for Peterson Farms Seed, says its time to be upfront and loud about our stories. Seed World (SW): Whats your favorite hobby?Scott Sanders (SS): It depends on the time of year. Right now, its deer hunting. I love getting to spend time in the woods with my friends and of course, getting a big buck doesnt hurt!SW: Whats your No. 1 travel destination?SS: Traveling is one of my favorite hobbies. There are too many great places to name just one. If I could go anywhere today, it would probably be Italy.SW: Howd you get involved with the seed industry?SS: I began in a canola crushing company eight years ago, and through that role, I met Carl Peterson. I wanted to return to North Dakota, so I knew getting into the agricultural industry would be a great career choice.SW: What do you think it means to be/work with an independent seed company? an entrepreneurial mindset and a great appetite for growth. SS: It means I get to work very closely with a lot of great people.With that support, I can focus on the critical areas of our busi-It also allows us the opportunity to partner with our local farm- ness that will sustain us for the future: retaining and hiring ers, providing them with the best options for their farms. As wetalented people and finding the next great opportunity for our say at Peterson Farms Seed, being independent means we arefarmers.friends with everyone and beholden to no one. We take our independence very seriously. SW: How do you think our industryespecially independentscan better talk to folks about what SW: Day-to-day, whats the most difficult problem youwere doing in fields and for U.S. agriculture?encounter working with Peterson Farm Seed? SS: Many people in our industry come from hardworking, SS: The culture and people here are fantastic, so I dont haveMidwestern family values. This means they are inherently a lot of day-to-day difficulties; however, something I strivehumble and tend to shy away from talking about what they are towards every day is ensuring we have a sustainable growth tra- doing to help the world. I believe we need to be upfront about jectory, while still providing the Peterson Experience to everyeverything our industry does for the global food supply and for farmer. our environment. Often, the loudest voices heard in the public forum arent as knowledgeable about farming practices, nor SW: Though you focus more on the day-to-day aspectsare they sharing positive things that agriculture is doing for our of the business, how do you keep that long term,planet. We need to be more vocal and willing to have honest company focus in mind? conversations about our trade, so those outside the industry are SS: I am blessed to work for Carl and Julie Peterson; they havebetter educated.SW94/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2022'