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History
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Our Mission
In 1908, Marcus “Brownie” Sharp bought his first load of Black Amber cane seed at Healy, in northwest Lane County. Brownie bought seed from area farmers and then hauled it in a horse-drawn wagon to Shields and Pendennis, where it was loaded on the Missouri Pacific trains.
In 1958, Bownie’s sons, Gail and Gerald, after returning from the service, asked their father if they could partner with him in his seed business. But Brownie refused; he told his sons to form their own seed company.
So Gail and Gerald sold seeds under the name Sharp Bros. Seed Co. out of their father’s building for the first few years. They then build their own building and as the business expanded, the brothers added to the building in 1964 and 1967. Later, Gail continued to manage the feed company until het turned the business over to his sons, Dan and David, in 1999. Dan manages the plant at Healy, David, the plant at Greeley.
Although Gail has retired, he spends every day when he and Mildred are not traveling at his office in the seed company’s building. The Sharp Bros. Seed Co.’s plant and office, in Healy, employs 50 people.
Growing Places
The company sells its seeds, under the name Buffalo Brand, in every state of the United States except those along the Atlantic. The company’s seeds have gone to Japan, China, Outer Mongolia, Australia, North Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Germany, and Switzerland. The seeds have been sown in many of the ditches along the state and interstate highways in the United States. Further, the Sharp Brothers seeds provided the sod for the runway at the Kansas City International Airport. Also the company provided buffalo grass seeds for the national soil bank program, which were planted from New York to Canada.
The Sharp Bros. Seed Co. also furnished the seeds to replant the grass in the Haymen Forest fire area in Colorado and the Rodeo forest fire in Arizona. Four airplanes and two huge helicopters were used in Colorado. Gail and his wife Mildred took photographs of the airplanes and helicopters reseeding burnt areas.
“We try to change with the times,” Dan said, “And whatever conservation needs are we try to provide seed for it.”
I love western Kansas,” Dan said. “It’s a wonderful place to raise a family.” Dan and wife, LaFonda, have a son, Tyler, 15, who works at the seed company office and wants to eventually join the company. Dan and LaFonda also have daughters, Kyla and Kiara. Brother David and his wife, Cheri, share their home with Cheri’s children, Devon and Paula.
Passing it on
The Sharp Bros. Seed Co. grants scholarships to college students. In Montana, the company provides a scholarship for Range Management to a Range Management Society student member in honor of Gail’s brother, Gerald. A Range Management scholarship is also granted to a Fort Hays University student, in honor of Gerald. Through the years, one Lane County student has received the scholarship.
The success of the Sharp Bros. Seed Co. is, undoubtedly, a result of Dan’s philosophy, which he has developed through the advice handed down by his ancestors.
“Our customers are the most important people. We not only sell quality seed, but we give them the benefit of our knowledge concerning native grasses. We want them to be successful. If they are, we are.”
Updated from: Ellen May Stanley (2003). Looking Sharp: The world's largest dealer of native grass seed has longtime prairie roots. The Legend Magazine.
In 1908, Marcus “Brownie” Sharp bought his first load of Black Amber cane seed at Healy, in northwest Lane County. Brownie bought seed from area farmers and then hauled it in a horse-drawn wagon to Shields and Pendennis, where it was loaded on the Missouri Pacific trains.
In 1958, Bownie’s sons, Gail and Gerald, after returning from the service, asked their father if they could partner with him in his seed business. But Brownie refused; he told his sons to form their own seed company.
So Gail and Gerald sold seeds under the name Sharp Bros. Seed Co. out of their father’s building for the first few years. They then build their own building and as the business expanded, the brothers added to the building in 1964 and 1967. Later, Gail continued to manage the feed company until het turned the business over to his sons, Dan and David, in 1999. Dan manages the plant at Healy, David, the plant at Greeley.
Although Gail has retired, he spends every day when he and Mildred are not traveling at his office in the seed company’s building. The Sharp Bros. Seed Co.’s plant and office, in Healy, employs 50 people.
Growing Places
The company sells its seeds, under the name Buffalo Brand, in every state of the United States except those along the Atlantic. The company’s seeds have gone to Japan, China, Outer Mongolia, Australia, North Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Germany, and Switzerland. The seeds have been sown in many of the ditches along the state and interstate highways in the United States. Further, the Sharp Brothers seeds provided the sod for the runway at the Kansas City International Airport. Also the company provided buffalo grass seeds for the national soil bank program, which were planted from New York to Canada.
The Sharp Bros. Seed Co. also furnished the seeds to replant the grass in the Haymen Forest fire area in Colorado and the Rodeo forest fire in Arizona. Four airplanes and two huge helicopters were used in Colorado. Gail and his wife Mildred took photographs of the airplanes and helicopters reseeding burnt areas.
“We try to change with the times,” Dan said, “And whatever conservation needs are we try to provide seed for it.”
Passing it on
The Sharp Bros. Seed Co. grants scholarships to college students. In Montana, the company provides a scholarship for Range Management to a Range Management Society student member in honor of Gail’s brother, Gerald. A Range Management scholarship is also granted to a Fort Hays University student, in honor of Gerald. Through the years, one Lane County student has received the scholarship.
The success of the Sharp Bros. Seed Co. is, undoubtedly, a result of Dan’s philosophy, which he has developed through the advice handed down by his ancestors.
“Our customers are the most important people. We not only sell quality seed, but we give them the benefit of our knowledge concerning native grasses. We want them to be successful. If they are, we are.”
Updated from: Ellen May Stanley (2003). Looking Sharp: The world's largest dealer of native grass seed has longtime prairie roots. The Legend Magazine.
Our Mission Statement
Sharp Brothers Seed Company is committed to providing the best quality products and services in the industry. We strive to exceed our customer' expectations with every opportunity. Our employees will always conduct business with the highest standards for ethics and integrity.
Our Customer is Always #1
Our customers are the most important people in our business
Our customers are not dependent upon us - we are dependent upon them
Our customers are not an interruption of our work - they are the purpose of it
Our customers are part of our business - they are flesh and blood human being with feelings and emotions like our own
Our customers are not individuals with whom to argue and match wits
Our customers tell their needs - it is our job to fill these needs
Our customers deserve the most courteous and attentive service we can give them
Our customers are necessary for us to survive - without them none of us would have jobs
Our customers are the lifeblood of this business.
We'd love to hear from you!