b'with tariffs, he says. China being our No. 1 buyer of soybeans and they havent bought a pound in a while. We like to thinkWhether youre a grain farmer or a cattle thats going to be coming back up here shortly. Agriculture is a rollercoaster and I dont think people realize the struggles that afarmer, youve got to be able to shift. Youve got farmer can go through to get them their end product. to have that next good product to capitalize on The Power of The Independents the next cash crop.Cowan has led Missouri Southern Seed since 2014 when he took Mike Cowanthe reins after his fathers passing. He credits his companys independence for much of its success.Its 100% valuable to me, he says. The bigger you are, the more complicated it is to operate. We have a lot of swings andAdapting with FarmersI can pivot very easily. If I see something, I can make that deci- When it comes to farmer expectations, Cowan sees constant sion on a whim. If I was in a corporate company, Id have to askevolution.permission and it could take a lot of time. Independence is theFarmers are constantly evolving and they have to, he says. way to be (for me). Whether youre a grain farmer or a cattle farmer, youve got to Though Missouri Southern buys seed regionally and interna- be able to shift. Youve got to have that next good product to tionally, Cowan says its identity remains local. capitalize on the next cash crop.All of our connections are right here in the Midwest, he says.Even without daily face-to-face contact, he values staying Even though we buy on the West Coast or internationally, wereclose to customers.rooted here. We deal more through farm stores so we dont have a lot of one-on-one interaction with farmers, he says. We own a cattle farm as well and we try to test all our products there to make sure were not selling a poor product.Keeping PerspectiveRestoring the NativeCowan doesnt spend much time worrying about Washington.We tend to have more local issues within Missouri regulation Landscape Since 1964 that we focus on, he says. On the national level, I dont feel like I can control that. I stress more about the weather and my inven-tory values than whats going on in Washington.Building the Next GenerationAt 41, Cowan describes himself as an 80-year-old man at heart, especially when it comes to communication.Id rather pick up a telephone and speak to somebody instead of send a text message or email, he says. One-on-one interactioncreating a friendthats the best way to do busi-ness. People want to buy from their friends.Still, hes realistic about the challenges facing young farmers today.Theyve got high interest rates. Land prices are high, cattle are high, corn and beans are low, he says. Theyve got some hiccups here in the next couple years. But long term, I have no worries whatsoever. Ag is a resilient place to be.Looking AheadAs WSA president, Cowans goals are simple: unity, growth and maybe a bit of humor.Id like to see open doors and open communication con-800-873-3321 tinue, he says. The seed industry has had a couple of down sales@ernstseed.com years, but Id like to think were on our way back up. Everyones going to be prosperous.SW72/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2025'