David Hadrick Isn't One to Keep Opportunity Waiting

It’s been said that 80 percent of success is just showing up. That’s one reason Dairyland Seed dealer David Hadrick continues to succeed. He answers the call.

David is part of two farm operations in Faulkton, SD, working with his brother, Allen, cousin Troy Hadrick and one employee, Travis Hansen.

David, at right, and Travis pictured in front of Dairyland SEED boxes at David’s seed warehouse.

He grows corn, beans, and hay, and runs his seed business with Travis. Allen and Troy, along with Troy’s wife, Stacy, raise beef cattle. Between the two operations, there’s about 5,000 acres of farm ground and 400 cattle. David’s wife, Trisha, is the pharmacist in town and helps with harvest every year. They have two kids, Jessica and Natalie, ages 13 and 11.

Right after graduating from South Dakota State University with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business, along with animal science and ag marketing minors, David farmed with his father and uncle and began taking on new challenges.

When a Mycogen seed dealer was looking for somebody to help him with his dealership, David grabbed the opportunity, later taking over the dealership. That same dealer also rented him land. When two neighbors farming in a partnership with a third decided to retire, David jumped in. Then another farm neighbor retired, and David began farming that land too.

By the time his father and uncle turned their crop and cattle operations over to him, Allen and Troy, David already had built his own thriving business.

“My business has grown out of, you know, just being there and knowing people and expressing interest,” says David. “I was fortunate enough that they trusted me and were willing to give me a chance to show that I could be successful at it.”

David doesn’t have much involvement in the beef operation. Troy is the driving force along with Stacy. Together they focus on raising high-quality beef and advocating for agriculture through frequent public speaking. When people ask about the operation, they tell them they raise beef, not cattle.

Two years ago, seed-industry consolidation brought David to Dairyland Seed. He says Dairyland Seed handled the transition well. He found the front office staff easy to work with and helpful.

DS-3550AM™, being planted here, is one of the varieties David grows on his farm.

“My seed rep, Keith Rekow, is excellent,” David says. “A really friendly guy. I can tell he cares about the community. He doesn’t care only about how much you sell. I appreciate that, the personal relationship part. I admire how hard he works.”

Everything’s going well for David in the field too. He’s selling a lot of DS-4018AM™ brand and plants DS-3518AM™ brand on his own farm.

Lately he’s planted a lot of cover crops. That’s because rainfall totals fell from 31 inches of rain in 2019 to seven inches through the end of the 2021 growing season, and soil health is getting to be a bigger issue in his area.

“Another challenge we have is gaining acceptance of Enlist E3® soybeans. We had already committed to them before selling Dairyland Seed. I think it’s the better platform,” he says, adding, “my goal with the seed business is simply to provide services and seed varieties that work well for customers.”

To enhance his seed services, David installed a treater about four years ago and treats almost all of the soybeans that go out the door. He’s eager to start a new trial program using Lumisena™ fungicide seed treatment to see how it works for soybean customers, some of whom are dealing with a lot of phytophthora issues.

David’s appreciation for technology led him to purchase a sprayer and begin doing some custom work. “We incorporated individual nozzle control and drip reduction control technologies on the sprayer to go along with the auto steer to make application as accurate as it can be,” he says.

On their corn planter, they adapted numerous Precision Planting parts to help them place every seed in the ground exactly where it should be.

The Hadrick family, showing support for Trisha and David’s alma mater, left to right: Natalie, Trisha, David and Jessica.

If a technology makes sense for David, there’s a good chance he will adopt it. He takes a dollars and cents approach. It either makes him more money, saves him money or both.

“This stuff isn’t cheap. It’s got to pay for itself,” he says.

He didn’t have to write down his goal for his seed business.

“I just like being able to help neighbors, you know, deliver products that work well for them, that’s what it’s about,” he says. “People ask me what’s my favorite part about being a seed dealer. I don’t know that there is a favorite part. I enjoy the personal connections with customers. There’s value in it for my business as well. Being a dealer helps our overall operation be more successful.”