Rutherford Farms Ltd.

What Rutherford Farms Ltd. does

Rutherford Farms Ltd. is a third-generation, family-owned pedigreed seed producer and processor headquartered in Grosse Isle, Manitoba, operating from 3,500+ acres of farmland with an integrated seed processing plant (500+ bu/hr capacity) and 100+ storage bins totaling over 800,000 bushels. The company grows the seed it sells across cereal grains, forage and field peas, soybeans, and hybrid seed corn, and pairs that with a multi-breeder retail catalog distributing varieties from NorthStar Genetics (core co-development partner), FPGenetics, KWS, Seed-Depot, Canterra, Secan, and Maizex. Beyond retail seed, it monetizes its infrastructure through contract seed production and processing services for large multinational seed companies, and through custom services for farmers — cleaning, treating and inoculating, custom corn drying, custom blending, packaging and warehousing, bulk storage, and agronomic consulting via a Sales Agronomist.

The go-to-market is direct-to-farmer in Southern Manitoba, supplemented by B2B toll-processing for multinational breeders. Revenue is generated from one-time seed sales (proprietary and partner varieties), per-job custom processing (with rates such as custom corn drying billed by hours/gas metered with a 10K bushel minimum haul), and agronomic consulting. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is quoted on request. The customer base is geographically narrow — Southern Manitoba — and segmented into local SMB farmers (retail) and large multinational seed companies (contract processing). No external funding, parent company, or public listing is present; leadership is concentrated in President Rick Rutherford, Sales Agronomist Emily Laudin, and Controller Geri Grzenda, with roughly 11 employees overall.

The company's defensibility rests on a 75-year brand, locally adapted variety portfolio, integrated production-to-processing control, and a distribution footprint that competing breeders appear willing to leverage rather than bypass. Constraints include single-region concentration, modest headcount, no disclosed digital or AI capabilities, and dependence on continued family stewardship and third-party breeder relationships.

Name

Rutherford Farms Ltd.

Legal name

Rutherford Farms Ltd.

Website

https://rutherfordfarms.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rutherford Farms Ltd. is a third-generation, family-owned pedigreed seed producer and processor in Grosse Isle, Manitoba, that grows, processes, and sells cereal, pea, soybean, and corn seed while providing custom seed services and agronomic consulting to Southern Manitoba farmers and contract processing for multinational seed companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pedigreed Seed Production

NAICS

Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Seed Production & Multiplication (Contract Growing, Foundation/Certified Seed) (AFABAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Seed Conditioning & Processing (Cleaning, Grading, Treating) (AFAGAIAH), Row Crop Seeds (Corn, Soybean, Wheat, Rice, Cotton) (AFABAFAA), Cereal & Grain Seeds (Wheat, Barley, Oats, Rye) (AFABAFAB)

Keywords

• Pedigreed seed production
• Seed processing services
• Agronomic consulting
• Cereal grain seeds
• Soybean seed varieties

Headquarters

HQ city

Grosse Isle

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pedigreed Seed Sales: Production and sale of pedigreed seed including cereal grains, forage, field peas, soybeans, and hybrid seed corn. The company grows the seed they sell, ensuring quality control from production through processing to sale.
2. Seed Processing Services: Custom seed cleaning, treating, blending, and packaging services for other seed producers and farmers. Includes custom corn drying and bulk storage services.
3. Planting Consulting: Agronomic consulting services to help farmers choose the right seed varieties and optimize planting decisions for their specific land conditions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Rutherford Farms grows, processes, and sells pedigreed seed for cereal grains, forage and field peas, soybeans, and hybrid seed corn at its farm in Grosse Isle, Manitoba. The company also provides custom seed processing services including cleaning (500+ bu/hr capacity), custom corn drying, seed treating and inoculating, custom blending, packaging, warehousing (800,000+ bushel storage across 100+ bins), and custom bulk storage, along with agronomic consulting to help producers choose the right seed varieties for their land.

Product overview

Rutherford Farms is a pedigreed seed production and processing operation that grows, processes, and sells seed while providing agricultural services. The company operates a retail seed business selling multiple seed product categories including wheat, oats, canola, barley, hybrid fall rye, peas, soybeans, silage corn, and grain corn varieties. The product portfolio is complemented by service offerings including seed cleaning (500+ bu/hr capacity), custom corn drying, treating and inoculating, custom blending, packaging and warehousing (800,000+ bushel storage capacity), planting consulting, and custom bulk storage. The company grows the seed it sells and specializes in contract seed production for multinational seed companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wheat Seeds

Quantifiable outcome

• Expanded from 320 acres to 3,500+ acres of farmland over generations

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NorthStar GeneticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRick Rutherford and other Manitoba farmers partnered with NorthStar Genetics to develop new soybean varieties suited to the shorter Canadian growing season. The collaboration has produced a line of soybeans reflecting the diverse growing conditions of the Prairies. Rick has grown foundation crops with this group that are thriving in Manitoba growing conditions. NorthStar Genetics is showcased as a primary partner on Rutherford Farms' soybean product pages.
• FPGeneticsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFPGenetics varieties are sold through Rutherford Farms, including wheat varieties (AAC Hockley, AAC Synergy), barley, hybrid fall rye (KWS Trebiano, SU Performer), peas (AAC Julius), and other seed products.
• KWSminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKWS hybrid fall rye varieties (KWS Trebiano, KWS Receptor) are sold through Rutherford Farms as part of their retail seed offerings.
• Seed-DepotminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSeed-Depot varieties are distributed through Rutherford Farms' retail seed operation.
• CanterraminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanterra canola varieties (CS 4100) and barley varieties (Celebration) are sold through Rutherford Farms.
• SecanminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSecan wheat varieties (AAC Starbuck VB, AAC Westking), winter wheat (AAC Coldfront), and pea varieties (CDC Hickie, CDC Lewochko) are distributed through Rutherford Farms.
• MaizexminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMaizex soybean varieties (Wolf R2X) are sold through Rutherford Farms as part of their retail seed offerings.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cargill: Cargill is a global agricultural commodity and input company with seed and crop production operations in Canada, including partnerships with Prairie growers. As a broad incumbent with diversified agribusiness interests, Cargill is thematically related to Rutherford Farms' seed and grain handling operations but at vastly different scale.
• KWS: KWS is a global plant breeding company specializing in sugar beet, corn, cereals, and rye varieties. As a hybrid rye genetics partner to Rutherford Farms, KWS operates at much greater scale with broader crop portfolio and global R&D—comparable as a genetics supplier but at vastly larger scope.
• Bayer Crop Science: Bayer Crop Science (including the legacy Monsanto seed portfolio) is a global agricultural input giant with major Canadian seed brands like Dekalb and Brevant. As a multinational with full Canadian Prairie seed distribution, Bayer is a broad incumbent competing for the same farmer customers, though at vastly different scale.
• Corteva Agriscience (Pioneer Hi-Bred): Corteva is one of the world's largest seed companies (including Pioneer Hi-Bred), with broad Canadian presence in corn, soybean, and canola genetics. A multinational incumbent competing in many of the same crop categories as Rutherford Farms, though with vastly larger R&D and direct sales infrastructure.

Direct peers

• Canterra Seeds: Canterra Seeds is a Western Canadian seed company that develops and distributes canola, cereals, and pulse varieties through a network of retail seed growers—including Rutherford Farms itself. The same grower-retailer model and Prairie geographic focus make Canterra a direct comparable.
• Maizex Seeds: Maizex Seeds is a Canadian-owned corn and soybean seed company focused on Western Canadian growing conditions, with hybrid corn and soybean varieties distributed through retail seed growers. Comparable as a Prairie-focused corn/soybean genetics partner in the same retail distribution channel as Rutherford Farms.
• Secan: Secan is a Canadian seed distributor of cereal, pulse, and other varieties through a network of retail seed growers in the Prairies. Multiple Secan varieties are sold through Rutherford Farms, making them a closely aligned peer in pedigree seed distribution and Canadian variety commercialization.
• NorthStar Genetics: NorthStar Genetics is Rutherford Farms' strategic soybean development partner, producing early-maturity soybean and corn varieties tailored to Canadian Prairie conditions. As a co-developer of varieties Rutherford grows as foundation crops, NorthStar shares the same target customer and product category.
• BrettYoung Seeds: BrettYoung Seeds is a major Canadian pedigreed seed producer and distributor operating across the Prairies, with similar product breadth in canola, cereals, forages, and soybeans, plus retail-direct and wholesale distribution to farmers—directly comparable to Rutherford Farms' vertically integrated seed business model.
• FPGenetics: FPGenetics is a Canadian farmer-led cereal and pulse variety development company distributing through retail seed growers across Western Canada, including Rutherford Farms. Similar grower-distribution model and Prairie-focused wheat, barley, rye, and pea portfolio.

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rutherford-farms

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Rutherford Farms Ltd.