Where Leadership Took Root

October 5, 2026

By Anna Toot

Shannon Latham’s passion for agriculture started young. Raised on a small farm on the outskirts of Greene, Latham loved spending time with her dad in their barn and at the livestock sale barn. She looked up to the older kids showing sheep at the county fair — and at age nine, she got to join them.

In her own words, she got “hooked with the show bug.” She loved looking around and seeing other participants’ custom farm shirts and colors, and credits this as her first exposure to marketing and branding.

Counting Sheep

Latham opened her first business checking account at age 10 to buy and sell sheep. Although the risks that came with overdrawing the account were relatively low stakes — likely just a small fee and a strong talking-to from her mother — Latham looks back and appreciates the opportunity to “fail small” at a young age. 

Thankfully, failure wasn’t in the cards for Latham. For her 4-H project and, eventually, her FFA Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), Latham raised purebred Suffolk sheep and ran the enterprise as a business. Through this experience, Latham learned the value of investing in quality breeding stock and gained a deeper understanding of genetics. Still, most importantly, she learned how to set goals and work hard to achieve them.

“My parents were small business owners, so I was raised to think like an entrepreneur,” Latham says.

She earned a spot on the Iowa State 4-H Council and, with her dad’s encouragement, became a charter member of the North Butler FFA her junior year, serving as chapter president her senior year. Through FFA, she built a strong network. She gained transformative job shadowing and career-readiness opportunities that she now carries into her current role as executive director of the Iowa FFA Foundation.

“Every job I’ve ever gotten was because someone I knew either recommended me for the job or told me about it,” Latham says. “The lifelong network FFA gives our members is amazing.” 

A Marketing Mastermind

At the urging of her FFA advisor, Latham attended Iowa State University, where she double majored in agricultural journalism and public service and administration in agriculture. Her first job out of college was as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Agribusiness Association of Iowa, where she worked closely with members of the Iowa House Agricultural Committee. 

“It was such a wonderful opportunity. I realized that all these people were Iowans who wanted to make a difference. The reason they ran for office is that they cared about the state and wanted it to be better,” Latham says.

This planted a seed in Latham: She wanted to serve in elected office someday. But timing was key.

In 2004, Latham and her husband, John, started Latham Hi-Tech Hybrids. Then in 2009, Latham Hybrids and Latham Seed Co. merged and began doing business as Latham Hi-Tech Seeds. 

In the company’s early days, Latham wore many hats, but her true passion was marketing. 

“When you’re part of a small company, you have to find a way to break through the noise,” Latham says.

One of the proudest moments in her career was establishing the Latham Freedom Ride.  This “field day on two wheels” combined a scenic motorcycle ride through farm country with stops featuring the latest seed technology, weed management and cover crops. She also spearheaded the company’s sponsorship of the charity stripe promotion at Iowa State and University of Iowa basketball games. Every time a home team sinks a free throw, the company donates to the American Cancer Society through Coaches vs. Cancer. The initiative has raised over $65,000 since its inception in 2012.

Photos courtesy of Shannon Latham

Public Service and Full-Circle Leadership

As a lifelong learner and agricultural advocate, Latham’s call to serve in office became a reality. In 2020, she was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives.

“I decided to run for the Iowa House to advocate for agriculture and small business, the backbones of the Iowa economy and the heart of Iowa House District 55,” Latham says.

Two of her proudest accomplishments in office are the passage of the Butchery Innovation and Dairy Innovation Bills. Both established grants to boost Iowa agriculture producers and strengthen local food supply chains. 

In November 2026, Latham’s time in office will come to a natural end. She chose not to run for office to focus on her new role with the Iowa FFA Foundation. She credits FFA with shaping not only her agricultural career, but also who she is as a person. 

“I’m at the point in my career where I was looking for a new challenge but also wanted to give back,” Latham shares. “The FFA Foundation provided me with that full-circle opportunity.”

In this role, Latham cultivates partnerships that promote education, workforce readiness and leadership growth. She acknowledges the deep impacts FFA has on members and their workforce readiness, as well as the 
state of Iowa.

“Small communities are the fabric of our state. If we didn’t have them, it would change the culture of our state,” Latham says. “What do we need to keep these communities strong?”

“That’s where FFA comes in. It truly prepares the next generation of leaders. Of course, I want to see young Iowans pursue careers in agriculture. Most of all, I want to keep our homegrown workforce here in Iowa. The FFA helps everyone develop leadership skills, whether an EMT, firefighter, a member of the school board or city council, a doctor or anything in between. FFA helps members develop the skills they need to be confident in their careers.”

Latham loves her home state, and she wants Iowa’s young people to feel the same.

“I was raised in rural Iowa. I raised my kids in rural Iowa. I absolutely love rural Iowa,” Latham says. “We are raising some of the most talented and hard-working children. If I had to tell them one thing, it would be this: There are so many exciting opportunities available to you, right here in Iowa.”