b"Pure SeedCanby,OregonTurf, forage, legacy and innovation on a world stage By Madeleine Baerg, Seed World Executive VP - OperationsSOME COMPANIES SHOUTabout their achievements. Pure Seed doesnt need to. For five decades, this family-run business has quietly built a reputation as one of the most trail-blazing players in turf and forage seed. Their annual field daythis year doubling as a 50th anniversary celebrationisnt just about turf plots in the ground. Its about a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and commitment that stretches from Pure-Seed Testings Canby, Oregon and Rolesville, North Carolina research plots to fields on six continents. Thats why, when I first heard Pure Seed was planning to celebrate its 50th anniversary at their annual field day in Canby, I pulled out a roadmap and booked a hotel. I went to see what makes this place tickand I want to bring you with me.Varieties That Make a Difference Within moments of stepping onto the research farm, a single word echoes again and again: innovation.I love coming to work because working at both Pure-Seed Testing (PST) and Pure Seed islike a treasure hunt, says Crystal Rose-Fricker, Pure Seed and PSTs president. We're looking for those new varieties that can make a difference out in the market. Its connecting our family, our people and our company with the rest of the world.For Pure Seed, innovation is less about bragging rights andWatch the Video.more about finding solutions that work far beyond this farm. That desire started 50 years ago, when founder Bill RoseRose-Frickers fathersaw a gap between what was being sold and what people actually needed. Legacy and innovation in our family business go hand-in- What's different about Pure Seed is our dedication and focus hand because my father was always way ahead of his time, sayson research and development, says Austin Fricker, PSTs vice Rose-Fricker. My dad's goal was to connect grass seed produc- president and Pure Seeds production manager. We spend a lot tion with researchunderstanding where the seed is going, howof time trialing our varieties in different locations to ensure theyll to get it there, how to produce it, how to develop something thatsucceed in different environments.makes a difference successful.The result is varieties that thrive while asking for less: less Today, that vision lives on in PSTs breeding program. At Purewater, fewer inputs, lower management intensity.Seed, research isnt theoreticalits practical problem-solving inWe feel like we make a real contribution to turf grass manag-real time.ers, says Melodee Fraser, director of research at PST East. All of 18/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2025"