Patrick Seyer’s love of agriculture grew out of the soils of southeast Missouri, near Oran, in #Agri-Ready Designated Scott County. “Dad always kept us seven kids busy. In the past our farm was diversified; we milked cows and raised hogs. The only thing I miss about it is the bacon!” Patrick chuckled. Today, Patrick is a third-generation farmer growing corn, wheat, beans, and rice in partnership with his brother and nephew. They keep a small herd of cattle and sell grain seed. Patrick volunteers to be a voice for the agriculture industry and his advocacy efforts were honored by the National Corn Growers Association when the group recognized him as a Corn Advocate of the Year.

Meeting A Special Demand

Patrick recently finished harvesting rice and is excited to move into corn harvest. “Nothing tests the strength of your equipment like harvesting rice! Corn harvest is a smoother process,” shared Patrick. Patrick primarily grows conventional corn, but to diversify the farm’s income, also plants about 400 acres of non-GMO corn as a specialty crop. “Non-GMO corn plants do not have the strong genetic traits of conventional corn to protect them from environmental pressures,” Patrick described. “They are less drought tolerant, but we irrigate our acres. They are more susceptible to insect pests, but we scout our non-GMO acres heavily, walking the rows to visually confirm if our crop needs the support of chemical controls.” 

Patrick and his family take great care to harvest the non-GMO crop separately. His harvest is tested to ensure authentic and transparent marketing. Patrick shared that farmers who produce non-GMO corn earn a premium price for their product, but not all farmers are able to take advantage of the opportunity. “If every farmer wanted to plant non-GMO corn, there wouldn’t be enough seeds available for them to do so. The fact that only a limited amount of non-GMO corn is harvested and sold each fall is what creates the premium that can be earned for a specialty crop,” Patrick said. Interestingly, Patrick’s non-GMO harvest is sent to Japan and is processed into beer brewer’s grits and other food-grade uses.  In #Agri-Ready Designated Scott County, primary food processing of crops leads agriculture’s $1.369 billion in economic output. Agriculture, food, forestry, and related industries support more than 6,570 agricultural jobs and generate $475.2 million in household income, according to the 2021 Missouri Economic Contribution of Agriculture and Forestry Study.

Honored for Advocacy

Patrick was honored to receive a 2024 Corn Advocate of the Year Award, presented by the National Corn Growers Association, in recognition of his response to the organization’s calls to action, his involvement in training and leadership programs, and his engagement with elected officials. “It was a great surprise to be recognized. This year, I have made several calls to representatives to protect our access to the herbicide atrazine and the Next Generation Fuels Act,” Patrick said. The Next Generation Fuel Act supports the use of blended fuels in vehicles and outlines biofuel requirements. A commonly available biofuel is gasoline blended with corn-based ethanol. Corn growers are proud to contribute to renewable fuels, and the use of ethanol creates more demand for their corn, supporting farms and rural economies. Patrick regularly invites legislative representatives to visit his farm to see what is happening and learn about how farmers are raising food, feed, and fuel while continually improving their stewardship of resources.

Meeting A Community Need

Farmers usually wear multiple hats for a variety of reasons. One of these reasons may be a desire to meet a need in their local community. Besides his business on the family farm, Patrick is a school bus contractor. He recognized his community’s need several years ago and took ownership of bus services for the local school district. Patrick manages the buses and their maintenance and hires the route drivers to make sure kids in his community can get to school. Occasionally, Patrick steps out of the tractor cab to drive a route!

More About Patrick

Patrick serves as vice president of the Missouri Corn Merchandising Council (MCMC), a partner of Missouri Farmers Care. MCMC is dedicated to the profitability of corn production by investing checkoff dollars in the development and expansion of corn markets at the state, national, and international levels, as well as facilitating communication with growers and customers. He is a member of the National Corn Growers Association Stewardship Action Team, which explores and promotes practices that farmers can implement to better steward their land and soil every day. Patrick and Audrey, his wife of 37 years, have three grown daughters and enjoy any opportunity to share their agricultural lifestyle and the family farm with their eight young grandchildren. Patrick is an active member of the local Knights of Columbus chapter and the Guardian Angel Catholic Church and enjoys spending time at the lake when he can get away from the farm. 

Agri-Ready Designated Scott County

Scott County is one of more than 70 Agri-Ready Designated Counties in Missouri. Agri-Ready Designated Counties embrace agricultural opportunity, literacy, and economic development. The Agri-Ready County Designation program connects counties with Missouri Farmers Care to encourage and protect agriculture and secure it as a thriving component in our state’s economic future. Missouri Farmers Care is a joint effort by Missouri’s farming and agriculture community to stand together for the men and women who provide the food and jobs on which our communities depend.