D.F. Seeds

What D.F. Seeds does

DF Seeds LLC is a Michigan-based, privately held seed company founded in 1969 (originally as Diehl Fields, rebranded to DF Seeds in 1992 and operating as a standalone company since 1997) that develops, brands, and distributes soybean, wheat, corn, and alfalfa seed varieties bred and tested for Michigan's specific microclimate. Its core technology platform consists of four proprietary wheat breeding programs (with FHB1-gene Fusarium Head Scab resistance), non-GMO and E3-trait soybean genetics, REVERE-brand corn hybrids sourced through a 2025 partnership with GDM, and alfalfa varieties developed for upper-Midwest winter-hardiness and disease resistance. In March 2025 the company launched DFender, a proprietary seed treatment combining four fungicides, an insecticide, an inoculant, and a polymer, sold in base, SDS, and SCN variants and bundled with 100% replant coverage.

The company generates revenue primarily through per-unit seed sales delivered via a Michigan-embedded dealer network and a direct seed-rep sales force that provides field-level agronomic support, plus a fee-bearing Non-GMO Contract Program that connects growers to premium processors (Everbest Organics, Michigan Agricultural Commodities, Zeeland Farm Services) for export and domestic crush markets. Production was restructured in 2024 through outsourcing partnerships with Glenn Farms Seed and Moore Seed Farms after DF Seeds vacated its Dansville facility, refocusing internal operations on breeding, sales, and treatment. Following multiple ownership transitions (2015 to Chris Varner, 2017 to Tillerman Seeds) and the 2023 appointment of Janna Fritz as Brand President, the company was acquired by Lead Food Capital of Indiana in July 2025 and continues to operate as an independent regional seed brand with 1-10 employees, headquartered in Dansville, Michigan, and a secondary presence in St. Johns.

Name

D.F. Seeds

Legal name

DF Seeds LLC

Website

https://dfseeds.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

D.F. Seeds is a Michigan-based, privately held seed company founded in 1969 that develops and sells regionally adapted soybean, wheat, corn, and alfalfa varieties, plus its proprietary DFender seed treatment, to Michigan farmers through a dealer and seed-rep network, with a non-GMO contract program linking growers to premium processors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Seeds

akta.pro primary industry

Foundation Seed Production (AFAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Row Crop Seeds (Corn, Soybean, Wheat, Rice, Cotton) (AFABAFAA), Seed Distribution & Wholesale (Channel Sales) (AFAGAIAM)

Keywords

• Agricultural seed production
• Non-GMO soybean genetics
• Michigan wheat breeding
• REVERE corn hybrids
• DFender seed treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Dansville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Seed Sales: Primary revenue from selling soybean, wheat, corn, and alfalfa seeds to Michigan farmers through direct sales team and dealer network.
2. Non-GMO Contract Programs: Revenue from connecting growers with premium markets for non-GMO soybeans through partnerships with Everbest Organics, Michigan Agricultural Commodities, and Zeeland Farm Services.
3. DFender Seed Treatment: Revenue from proprietary seed treatment products applied to seeds, including base treatment and specialized variants for SDS and SCN management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DF Seeds is an agricultural seed company that develops, selects, and sells soybean, wheat, corn, and alfalfa seed varieties specifically adapted to Michigan's unique microclimate, complemented by the proprietary DFender seed treatment product line and a non-GMO contract program that connects Michigan soybean growers with premium domestic and export processors.

Product overview

DF Seeds is an agricultural seed company founded in 1969, offering a diversified portfolio of soybean, wheat, corn, and alfalfa seed products specifically developed and tested for Michigan's unique climate. The company operates as a multi-product platform with core seed offerings (soybeans including non-GMO and E3 trait varieties, wheat with FHB1 disease resistance genes, REVERE corn hybrids, and alfalfa with disease and winter-hardiness traits), augmented by proprietary DFender seed treatment services and a custom seed guide tool. The company emphasizes 'Michigan Grown, Michigan Proven' positioning with region-specific genetics and direct partnerships with local non-GMO soybean processors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DF Seeds Soybeans Extensively tested soybean varieties optimized for Michigan's unique growing conditions, including non-GMO options, E3 trait varieties, and organic-certified varieties. Products include DF 151 N, DF 204 N, DF 214 N, DF 282 N, and E3 series varieties with SCN resistance and disease tolerance, intended for Michigan soybean growers including non-GMO and organic segments.
• DF Seeds Wheat Wheat varieties developed for Michigan farmers across four breeding programs. Includes red wheat (DF 106 R, DF 131 R, DF 144 R, DF 195 R) and white wheat (DF 271 W, DF 284 W) varieties featuring the FHB1 gene for Fusarium Head Scab management.
• DF Seeds Corn (REVERE Brand) Corn hybrids sourced from GDM's REVERE brand and offered across Michigan through DF Seeds, featuring strong-performing hybrids vetted through over 4,000 individual plots and farmer fields across 15 states.
• DF Seeds Alfalfa Alfalfa varieties specifically bred for Michigan and upper Midwest conditions, featuring DF-457HD+, DF41-10, DF46-08, DF47-44, Hoppernot Max, and L-442RR with disease resistance and winter-hardiness traits.
• DFender Seed Treatment Proprietary seed treatment applied to seed pre-planting, formulated with four fungicides (effective on Phytophthora, Pythium, Rhizoctonia, and Fusarium), an insecticide (for Bean Leaf Beetle, White Grubs, Wireworms), inoculant for nodulation/nitrogen production, polymer, and red colorant. Available in three variations: DFender, DFender SDS, and DFender SCN, and includes 100% replant coverage.
• Non-GMO Contract Program Program connecting Michigan soybean growers with processors for non-GMO and organic soybean contracts, including partnerships with Everbest Organics, Michigan Agricultural Commodities, and Zeeland Farm Services for export and domestic premium markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• DF 204 N achieved 71.2 Bu/A yield in Saginaw county in 2023 MSU trials, ranking as high yield in plot
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Revere (GDM)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025DF Seeds transitioned to offering corn products from GDM's REVERE brand following Legacy Seeds' corn and soybean business acquisition by GDM. Revere has commitment to release best available products vetted through prospects pipeline and 4,000+ individual plots.
• Glenn Farms SeedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 January 2024Production partner for DF Seeds starting 2024, housing seed production to maintain high quality products. Part of strategic shift to ensure best service for customers.
• Moore Seed FarmscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 January 2024Production partner for DF Seeds starting 2024, collaborating with Glenn Farms Seed for seed production needs while maintaining Michigan grown and processed quality.
• Everbest OrganicscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMichigan-based company purchasing organic soybeans from DF Seeds growers. Contact: Steve Bohn at [email protected] for pricing, contracts, and accepted varieties.
• Michigan Agricultural Commodities (MAC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMichigan-based company purchasing non-GMO soybean varieties on approved list. Contact: Jeff Kuehnlein at [email protected].
• Zeeland Farm ServicescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMichigan-based company offering premiums varying based on protein content for non-GMO soybeans. Contacts: Ben Glass and Brooke Baker at ZFS Inc.
• Michigan State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for variety trials, White Mold and SDS screenings. MSU conducts soybean yield trials across 7 counties with tight testing procedures.
• AgroLiquidminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for DF Seeds Dealer Winter Agronomy Meeting at AgroLiquid Conference Center in St. Johns, MI.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Renk Seed: Wisconsin-based independent corn seed company with a long Midwest dealer footprint. Comparable to DF Seeds in scale and operating model — an independent regional seed brand focused on corn genetics tailored to upper-Midwest growing conditions.
• Stine Seeds: Iowa-based independent seed company with proprietary soybean genetics and a strong Midwest dealer network. Directly comparable to DF Seeds in offering region-specific soybean and corn genetics through independent dealers, with a similar emphasis on genetic differentiation versus trait licensing.
• Albert Lea Seed: Minnesota-based independent seed company specializing in non-GMO, organic, and cover crop seed. Highly comparable to DF Seeds in its non-GMO soybean focus, organic-certified product line, and specialty positioning against national GMO-heavy seed brands.
• Beck's Hybrids: Family-owned regional seed company headquartered in Indiana, selling corn, soybean, wheat, and alfalfa hybrids across the Midwest. Closest US analog to DF Seeds in being an independent, regionally-focused multi-crop seed company that competes with national brands on local fit and dealer/rep-driven service.
• AgVenture: Network of independent regional seed companies (including Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and Southern affiliates) selling corn, soybean, and other crops. Comparable to DF Seeds in business model — locally-affiliated independent seed brands selling into a defined regional footprint with shared genetic sourcing.
• Local Seed Company: Tennessee-based independent seed brand offering corn, soybean, and other crops through regional affiliates and dealers. Same independent regional brand model as DF Seeds, often cited as a comparable for sub-scale, regional-fit seed businesses competing against national incumbents.
• Hoegemeyer Hybrids: Nebraska-based independent corn and soybean seed company (now under Corteva ownership) that historically operated as a regional brand. Same go-to-market structure as DF Seeds: independent regional brand selling locally-adapted hybrids and varieties through farmer-dealer relationships.

Broad incumbents

• Bayer Crop Science: Global agricultural input company whose DEKALB and Asgrow brands dominate US corn and soybean seed. Provides the scale, trait, and digital farming benchmarks (Climate FieldView) that regional seed companies like DF Seeds benchmark against.
• Corteva Agriscience: Global seed and crop protection company (parent of Pioneer and Brevant) with full Midwest coverage through its Pioneer brand. The dominant broad incumbent against which all regional seed brands including DF Seeds compete for soybean, corn, and wheat acres.
• Syngenta Seeds: Global seed and crop protection company (NK, Golden Harvest, AgriPro wheat) with strong Midwest presence. Operates regional brand strategies similar in spirit to DF Seeds but at a vastly larger scale, competing for the same Michigan/Midwest grower acres.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dfseeds
• Facebookfacebook.com/dfseeds
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/df-seeds-llc

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about D.F. Seeds