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8 SEEDWORLD.COM OCTOBER 2015 I N 1899 A GROUP of seeds- men formed the Western Seed Association to help facilitate the seed business and discuss industry issues. Known by many as The Western the association still maintains its original mission to host an annual meeting based in Kansas City Mo. for industry members to meet and discuss seed issues and to facilitate trade. According to Joe Stephens WSA president in 1986 and a member since 1958 Kansas City was chosen for a few reasons. Missouri was chosen as the meeting place since the rail corridor at the time was a major hub for seed trade within the United States Stephens says. Since trains were the main mode of transporta- tion this was a good location for buyers and sellers to meet after harvest. In the early 1900s it was determined that the conference would be held each year in November when harvest would normally be complete and most sellers and buyers could gather to trade seed. The trading floor allowed industry members to meet and trade seed such as timothy clover and alfalfa and build trad- ing relationships Stephens says. Most times back in the day an agreement of trade was completed with a handshake. Some things dont change. Members of the 116-year-old Western Seed Association find value in continuity and consistency. Shannon Schindle Garth Kaste who currently serves as WSA president stresses that consistency in timing and location is what makes the Western a valuable tool for buyers and sellers timing is everything. The turf forage and native seed industry can all come together after the seed harvest with a good idea of new crop inventories Kaste says. This allows buyers and sellers to meet each others needs at the time of the meeting. Stephens who retired in 1996 remains a loyal supporter and volunteers each year at the conference. Its an informal meeting that offers members the oppor- tunity to see new products meet distribu- tors and build relationships he says. Growing With the Times Wendell Howard 2014 president of the WSA says the organization has remained strong throughout the past century due to industry interest. Its a very popular conference because membership is affordable and the meeting itself is simple for members to conduct business Howard says. It is simple to book appointments and meet with various distributors and customers. Howard shares that opportunities at the Western have grown due to its mem- bership base. Today there are not only members from the United States but there are also foreign entities about 20 percent he says. The Western today helps to facili- tate trade from around the globe. There is real value in attending the conference and I wouldnt miss it for the world. Don Wertman WSA president in 2001 explains that the name is a bit of a misnomer since the association has grown not only in size but also geo- graphically. The Western in the early days was a way for the upper mid-western seed industry to meet but today members come from locations on the west and east coasts Canada and from overseas Wertman says. Geographically mem- bership has become international. He adds that growth in the past 30 to 40 years has also evolved around further trade opportunities. While forage turf and native seed trade has always been the norm for the association we now have grown into conservation seed and cover crops Wertman says. Its these new business inroads that have also contributed to geographical growth for the WSA. Jesse Smart 1991 WSA president and his wife Susan currently manage the WSA convention. They say that its the Time Tested