History

Joe Hickson got his experience and start in the seed business as the Controller for Rothwell Seeds in Lindsay. Rothwell Seeds was a company supplying forage and turfgrasses to the Ontario Market. Joe approached Norm Rothwell, the owner at the time, about the possibility of the family farm producing farm seeds for inquiries that Rothwell Seeds was getting from their forage customers.  So the family mixed farm started growing pedigree seed rather than just commercial crops. The family farm started producing Maple Arrow soybeans for export to Europe. Then producing cereals to compliment Rothwell Seeds forage line up. Then in 1992 Rothwell Seeds decided to get out of the forage business and concentrate on the booming Turfgrass business.  Joe then decided to go on his own. Joe approached Norm with his intentions and formed a gentlemen’s agreement on a hand shake.  That agreement being if Rothwell Seeds had customers contact them for cereals they would recommend them to Midnight Acres and if Midnight Acres had customers contact them looking for turfgrasses they would refer them back to Rothwell Seeds. This agreement was honoured for years by both companies until Rothwell Seeds was sold to a 3rd party. So Joe went from being the bean counter balancing the books to counting the beans going in the bag.

Since 1992 Midnight Acres Inc., has been producing, processing and distributing seeds to the local and international markets. Like many other events in history it all started back on the farm. Midnight Acres started out as a farm growing pedigree seed and then looking for a buyer. It was also a time when the market demands and farm practices were changing; there was a need for different genetics and services.  Midnight Acres started working with Genetics from Advantage Seeds and Secan. Both of these suppliers work with numerous breeders and programs to bring a variety of options to the market. As a farmer you soon learn that one seed doesn’t fill all the needs, and neither does one genetics base. Today the base production still uses genetics sourced through Advantage and Secan. But are always looking for new varieties and new sources, including contract production and processing. If the final product doesn’t work for the farmers it doesn’t work for Midnight.

Midnight’s production includes its own farms as well as production with contract growers. Midnight has production across the province but 90% of the production is within a 50 mile radius of Lindsay, and includes production on soils that range from sand to heavy clay, from areas with 2600 HU to 3200 HU. With this combination you get to see a great cross section of growing and harvesting conditions and how different varieties perform under normal farm practices whether they perform differently or if they perform consistently.

From day one, the main goal of Midnight Acres was to produce and service the local market demands and the needs of local farmers, with the products and services that worked for them. For over 20 years we have been able to do this through a distribution network of independent farm retailers. A list of these distributors is included in the “distributers” link.

Thank you for your past support and we look forward to your future needs.

Joe Hickson