Ames, Iowa, USA
March 3, 2026
Jim Schweigert, new adjunct instructor for Seed Technology and Business graduate program and president of Gro Alliance.
When Jim Schweigert describes Gro Alliance, he calls it an “80-plus-year-old startup.” It’s a phrase that captures both legacy and forward momentum, and it perfectly frames the conversation in GermiNation Season 2, Episode 3, a podcast produced by the Iowa State University (ISU) Seed Science Center.
Schweigert, President of Gro Alliance, a graduate of ISU’s Seed Technology and Business (STB) program and the newest adjunct instructor for STB, joins the podcast to discuss the value of continuing education, the history of his family’s company, and what it really takes to compete and collaborate in a seed industry dominated by global giants.
Education Beyond Experience
Jim grew up in the seed business. Gro Alliance is a third-generation, family-owned company founded in 1941 by his grandfather, Gerald Schweigert, on a small farm in Bruce, Wisconsin. Seed is in his DNA.
But his undergraduate degree wasn’t in agronomy; it was in public relations. After working in Minneapolis, Chicago, and Atlanta for PR agencies, he returned to the family business with practical experience but a realization: he understood his company, but not the broader seed industry.
That’s where Iowa State’s STB program came in.
The graduate program gave him what he calls a “much broader view” of the industry, exposure to other crops, other business models, and other ways companies operate. Pairing real-world experience with formal education, he says, was “a game changer.”
His advice to young professionals? Work in the industry first, then pursue advanced education.
When you’ve “been in the trenches,” he explains, you can connect academic theory to lived experience. Education becomes strategic, not abstract. It becomes a tool for leadership.
What Is the Right Level of Education?
Schweigert doesn’t believe there’s a one-size-fits-all answer.
Today’s seed professionals can pursue associate degrees, four-year programs, micro-credentials, internships, or advanced graduate degrees. The right path depends on career goals.
For those entering technical or production roles, a strong agronomic foundation is key. For those aiming at leadership, strategy, or business development, broader education, including graduate programs like STB, can help professionals understand how agriculture fits within global political, economic, and consumer systems.
He emphasizes a critical point: education is layered.
“You can start small. You can build over time,” Jim said. “Many companies, including Gro Alliance, actively invest in their employees’ continuing education, from technical training and conferences to leadership development opportunities.”
In an industry shaped by shifting trade policy, genetics, supply chains, and global politics, Jim believes seed professionals must understand not just agriculture but the broader agricultural commodity complex and how global forces shape markets.
Gro Alliance began in 1941 when Jim’s grandfather attended a university extension course and learned about hybrid seed corn production.
A Family Legacy That Began with Two Acres
Gro Alliance began in 1941 when Jim’s grandfather attended a university extension course and learned about hybrid seed corn production. Looking for a way to make more income on a small northern Wisconsin farm, he planted just two acres of hybrid seed.
That spirit of careful experimentation still guides the company today.
Jim shares that his grandfather never “bet the whole farm” on something new. He tested small, observed results, learned, and scaled intentionally. That philosophy, “innovate but protect the home front,” continues to shape Gro Alliance’s strategic decisions.
Over 80 years, the company has continuously reinvented itself. New crops. New geographies. New partnerships. New channels to market.
“No business that existed in 1941 is doing exactly the same thing today,” Jim notes. Longevity requires reinvention.
Thriving Among the Giants
The modern seed industry is highly consolidated, dominated by multinational corporations with vast research budgets and global infrastructure.
So how does a family-rooted company compete?
First, Jim reframes the narrative.
It’s not always “big versus small.” Multinationals are often partners, through licensing, germplasm access, and collaboration. Smaller companies can work alongside larger players to serve mutual customers.
But according to Jim, small companies have unique advantages:
1. Long-Term Vision
Family-owned businesses can think beyond quarterly returns. They can invest in initiatives that take years to mature, operating at lower margins in the short term for sustainable long-term value.
2. Agility
Smaller companies move faster. With less hierarchy and fewer approval layers, they can pivot quickly when market opportunities arise.
Jim encourages small companies to trust their information and instincts and act.
3. Customer-Centered Solutions
Large corporations can’t be everything to everyone. Smaller firms can tailor solutions to specific customer needs and serve niche markets that large companies may overlook.
At Gro Alliance, this flexibility has allowed the company to remain relevant across eight decades of industry evolution.
Education as a Strategic Investment
As President, Jim applies his philosophy of layered education not just to himself, but to his team.
New hires are quickly plugged into industry conferences, technical courses, and trade associations. Employees gain exposure not just to their immediate job function, but to the broader seed ecosystem, from vegetable seed to small grains to nursery services and counter-season production.
The goal? Build a workforce that understands how their role fits into the larger industry picture.
It’s a leadership approach rooted in empowerment and one that reflects the value Jim found in his own continuing education journey.
Building a Company for the Future
When asked about succession, Jim takes a thoughtful, long-term view. He has nieces and nephews who are young and exposed to the business, but no guarantees of a fourth-generation leader.
His philosophy: build a company that has value to anyone and everyone.
If the next generation steps forward, the runway is long. If not, Gro Alliance will still be a strong, valuable, relevant company for the industry.
Legacy, he believes, is honored not by preserving the past exactly as it was but by adapting wisely for the future.
A Conversation Rooted in Growth
Season 2, Episode 3 of GermiNation highlights more than one company’s story. It underscores a broader truth about the seed industry:
- Education matters.
- Agility matters.
- Partnerships matter.
- And reinvention is essential.
From two acres of hybrid seed corn in 1941 to a diversified seed services company today, Gro Alliance’s journey reflects the resilience and adaptability required to thrive in agriculture.
And as Jim Schweigert reminds us, “sometimes the most powerful companies are the ones that know how to stay small, think long, and keep learning.”
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