Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 112Seed 32 www.seed.ab.ca | Advancing Seed in Alberta GREG STAMP often refers to his family’s seed farm as a small operation that likes to dream of “what can it become.” Located near the town of Enchant in southern Alberta, Stamp Seeds has grown from a modest enterprise established by his parents Rick and Marian in 1978, into perhaps one of the larger seed farms in the province. Today, its customers’ number more than 600 in the Wild Rose province and Western Canada, selling over 300,000 bushels of seed in any given year. Focused entirely on “everything” related to seed, it has grown from the 320 acres the family started with, to now over 5,000 acres it currently farms and an additional 2,000 acres it contracts. Although that’s a far cry from the company’s early days, Stamp says his family and its employees have never lost sight of the fact it remains a people-driven enterprise. “It’s a family-owned business that is professionally run and customer-focused,” says Greg, a co-owner who manages the company’s seed sales, advertising and marketing. “We want to ensure everyone who interacts with us in any way, is treated well and gets good, quick service. When you come into our yard we want it to be spotless and our buildings the same.” Most of the company’s business is retail sales sold directly to producers. Stamp Seeds produces and offers a wide selection of seed; from flax, faba beans, hybrid rye and canola, peas and lentils, to a variety of cereals including hard red spring wheat and barley. Cover crops blends, soybeans and corn seed are also in the mix. Rick Stamp says he and Marian began with no money and vir- tually no equipment, but what they did have was a lot of energy, determination and a great passion to learn. They started with a small crop farm but were encouraged to give seed production a go, from two patriarchs in the seed business who became their mentors – Leonard Haney and Tony Crooymans. After a roller coaster of growth, the company undertook an ambitious expansion plan about 10 years ago. Since then it has enjoyed an average sales increase of over 20 per cent, per year. “When I started we just didn’t have enough people, or enough capital,” says Rick, whose company now employs a team of 10 full-time individuals including his sons Matthew and Nathan. “How we’ve grown is that we’ve really changed our business structure and have a handle on the costs associated with seed production and sales. Integrity and high-quality seed along with customer service and support drive sales forward. This family-owned business focuses on the customer first. STAMPof APPROVAL The Rick (left) and Greg Stamp are two of several family members involved in Stamp Seeds in Enchant, Alta. Stamp Seeds hosts regular crop tours. Photos courtesy of Stamp Seeds