How to Be A Great Guy - An Informal Study

There are many ways to define a great guy. You could turn to psychology for definitions supported by behavioral science. Or, you could just ask other people, people who have first-hand experience with the guy in question, in this case, Mickey Lockhart.

Mickey grows hay and does custom work for neighbors near his home in LeRoy, Mich. He’s been selling seed for more than 25 years, most recently with Dairyland. His Dairyland district manager, Dale Whitmore, says Mickey is one of the best at it, probably a top 10 salesperson, and a great guy.

Mickey, however, doesn’t think about that stuff. He just wants to do a good job for a long time.

“A great thing about the seed business is that you can keep doing it,” says Mickey, who turned 68 this year and doesn’t think about retirement. Besides that, he loves helping people.

Walking customer fields, answering questions, and solving problems -- all part of a day’s work for mickey.

One way he does it is by hosting a popular seed pick-up day. Customers drive to his place, and while he and his team load seed, customers enjoy a fabulous meal prepared by his wife, Rose. It has been said, Rose cooks lights out.

It’s no surprise. She’s been in the food business since age 16, working at a local Elks Lodge with her mom. The two of them catered for 35 years. Rose also supervised the kitchen at the Kettunen Center, a former full-service conference and retreat facility. Today, she’s a volunteer cook for the First Baptist Church in Cadillac, Mich. “I love to not have any free time,” she laughs.

Mickey got started selling at the dairy where he worked milking cows. He helped the dairy owner sell Mycogen Seed. Once he began earning a living at seed sales, Mickey gave up milking. These days when he isn’t selling, he’s growing and baling hay on his 40 acres, doing custom work for others, or indulging his other passions: his grandchildren, cruising in his UTV, and bow hunting.

The hay he puts up for himself gets sold to feed horses and cows in his area. He does most of his custom work for Amish farms. The farmers mow and rake it. Mickey bales it. In the summer of 2021, he put up 3,400 bales.

Although Mickey isn’t one to talk about himself, Rose doesn’t hold back when he hands her the phone.

“Mickey has a reputation for being honest and full of integrity, and people like him,” she says. She recounts the transition from Mycogen to Dairyland, and how remarkable it was. Mickey’s Mycogen customers not only followed him and Dale, his district manager, they also have remained.

“Dairyland has really good seed and a great bunch of people. The relationship part though, you just can’t compete with that,” she says.

If a customer is short-handed around the farm, Mickey will pitch in and help. If he isn’t working, he will drop what he’s doing to help a customer. His custom work for Amish farms is something a lot of others wouldn’t touch. Gates are narrower than average, making it difficult to get equipment through, and the land is harder than average to farm.

“I knew that he wasn’t going to tell you that side of it.” Rose says.

Dale has a thing or two to say as well, after 25 years of working with him.

“The seed business is important to Mickey. He’s very successful at it. It’s hard work, and he’s put the effort into it. But he doesn’t push people. And if I need someone to haul seed from one dealer to another, he helps out. He will help the territory, not just himself. He makes sure the customer is happy, even if it’s not his customer.”

Dale’s best compliment comes out of the transition from Mycogen to Dairyland. “I think he was the only dealer who increased his sales during the transition.”

For that to happen, all of his customers — and more — had to switch to another seed brand. It can be extraordinarily difficult to persuade a farmer to switch brands. That’s not even the most amazing part to Dale. “He told his customers what was going to happen. We made the transition to Dairyland. And Mickey still delivered Mycogen seed to customers while he was selling for Dairyland.”

Mickey and rose lockhart pose on the front porch of their home in leroy, Mich.

“Ashley Paddock, U.S. marketing programs leader for Corteva Agriscience, recalls her early days as a sales rep in Michigan. “Mickey was always willing to help. He is such a kind soul. His ability to talk through details with customers and meet their needs is exactly what growers need. I keep my time in Michigan very close to my heart, and it’s people like Mickey that made it such an amazing experience.”

Amir (AM) Faghih, U.S. sales training manager at Corteva, has had similar experiences. “Mickey is a genuine, witty person who is always there to help. We always wanted our interns and new hires to visit with Mickey because he was so helpful to them.”

“Mickey is a chatterer,” says Amanda Goffnett, a Dairyland agronomist covering Michigan, “but he’s not going to talk about himself. I can tell you that guy has an excellent sense of humor. He will put a smile on your face and brighten your day. He’s honest, treats everyone like family, and would give you the shirt off his back. He’s always helping his customers. He’s also very willing to learn. He’s just a great guy.”

Brad Gernaat of Gernaat Dairy, Mickey’s largest customer, agrees with everyone else. “We’ve worked with Mickey for 25 years plus. We followed him and Dale through the transition, not because we were unhappy with the seed from Mycogen, but because of our relationship. Mickey is a joy to work with. He’s upbeat. It’s just his nature. He is consistently very willing to do whatever it takes to get us what we need.”

If you ask Mickey Lockhart, there’s nothing here but a guy who loves selling seed, helping others and spending time with family. Just what you might expect a great guy to say.