On Friday, July 29, Legacy Agripartners announced they have acquired Northern Agri Brands, LLC, including the brand TriCal Superior Forage. According to the release, Legacy Agripartners is working to secure its position as the leading seed partner helping dairy and beef producers maximize production.
TriCal Superior Forage specializes in triticale, a highly versatile cereal forage for grazing, silage, hay or cover crop.
“Triticale is a cross between wheat and rye,” says Legacy Agripartners CEO, Colin Steen. “It’s a great source of protein and livestock feed.”
According to Purdue University, triticale dates back to 1875, but only recently — as of 30 years ago — developed for more high yielding varieties. While used more as a forage in the South, it’s looked at as a viable cover crop option in the Midwest that doubles as a livestock feed when cut for forage in the spring. Through this growing opportunity in the Midwest, Steen sees a bright future ahead for the crop.
TriCal has over 15,000 test plots throughout the U.S. and Canada and is considered the largest triticale breeding program in North America.
For Legacy Agripartners, Steen believes the addition of triticale will allow Midwestern producers to take advantage of planting a forage crop after their corn harvest, expanding their crop rotations as well as their forage and silage options. In the end — the goal is to provide different options, as there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to forages.
“We want to walk onto a farm and give farmers options and alternatives to find out what’s the best fit for their operation. We have options for beef and dairy farmers to be successful and produce more milk per acre and beef per acre,” Steen says.
“TriCal seed delivers superior quality forage for grazing, silage and hay with high protein and high tonnage,” he adds. “Adding their research and product development strength and deep pool of industry-leading genetics allows us to deliver a total agronomic solution to beef and dairy producers.
The TriCal team will move under the Legacy Agripartners brand along with their breeding program.
“The goal of Legacy Agripartners is to help these rural communities and independent seed companies continue to thrive and do the job they set out to do,” Steen says. “This is all about continuing the TriCal brand name — it’s got an incredible amount of equity with farmers and throughout the U.S. We want to ensure that brand name lives for a long, long time.”
