- Rupp Seeds Builds on Family
Tradition for Over 50 Years
By Greg Brown
Associate Editor
Imagine a small, decorative pumpkin purchased from a farm market that is attractive and tastes good enough to eat.
It may sound like a surprise, because while popular with decorators, few small gourds have high enough sugar content to taste good. Rupp Seeds is working on a variety of small gourds that could transform small pumpkins from decorations to culinary delight.
For over 55 years, the Wauseon, Ohio, company has been in business selling seed and seed care products to farmers and producers. “Our goal is to help our customers realize success with traditional and unique products that have a healthy plant stand,” said Roger Rupp, president of the company.
What is known today as Rupp Seeds began as a family farm. Sylvan Rupp, his wife Pearl, and their seven children produced corn, soybeans, popcorn and strawberries along with cattle and hogs.
Sylvan’s interest in plants and farming led him to start the “Sylvan L. Rupp Seed Farm” in 1946, which began selling hybrid corn seed, along with producing and marketing soybean, wheat and oats varieties to area farmers.
As the youngest of the children, Roger Rupp had opportunity to “grow up” along with the seed business. His entrepreneurial spirit and keen interest in seeds naturally led him to become involved in the business. In 1972, Roger became a partner in the company, which was now known simply as “Rupp Seed Farm.”
The company developed a line of Rupp brand corn seed hybrids and soybean varieties and concentrated on the sale of grain and forage seed products to row crop farmers through a dealer network in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana.
In 1985 the company began serving the commercial vegetable grower. Marketing vegetable seeds to vegetable growers has become an important part of the business during the past 20 years, said Rupp. Today, they are a provider of the vegetable genetics to wholesale producers, fresh market growers and the processing industry.
While the company acts as a dealer for several vegetable seed companies, they also have begun to produce and acquire their own named varieties. The opportunity to acquire new varieties that larger seed companies were no longer interested in selling, has been beneficial for the company, as has been their own vegetable breeding program.
“Through our research, product development, and seed sources we can offer our customers the best hybrid and variety selections available,” said Roger Rupp.
“We are committed to providing vegetable growers with vegetable seed products that offer plant, fruit and yield characteristics growers need to be successful,” said Rupp. Each year through their research program they conduct tests of new vegetable varieties to identify additions to their commercial vegetable selection.
Their entrepreneurial spirit led them to hire their own breeders on-site in Ohio, who have specialized in creating a wide variety of squash and many other vegetables.
According to Roger Rupp, the breeders are currently managing the creation of several exciting lines for the company. One project includes the small decorative pumpkin with high sugar content. Roger Rupp envisions this small pumpkin will be popular with specialty restaurants and consumers who frequent farm markets.
“We continue to invest in our breeding program with the goal of developing new plant varieties that are healthier, produce good looking fruit and taste great,” said Roger Rupp.
The company has its eyes on the changing dynamics of the United States, offering varieties of squash (and other vegetables) that appeal to growing Hispanic and Asian populations, said Roger Rupp.
Last year, the company released three new winter squash that were powdery mildew tolerant plants with better tasting fruit. Bugle, a butternut squash, along with Harlequin and Celebration, two acorn types, have proven to be successful. All three squash had powdery mildew tolerance, while Harlequin and Celebration increased sugar content, averaging 30- 50% higher than other available acorn varieties.
The Bugle butternut squash was bred by Molly Jahn and George Moriarity at Cornell University. Harlequin, a green striped, acorn shaped hybrid winter squash, was also bred by Jahn and Moriarity. Celebration, a gold striped, acorn shaped hybrid winter squash was a joint release by Rupp Seeds and Cornell. The company offers over 1,200 vegetable varieties from all the major vegetable breeders.
There are a wide variety of Rupp brand pumpkins, gourds and squash products available through their dealer network. For more information call (800) 700-1199.
