1940s
Bill Stine founds Stine Seed Farm, cleaning public variety soybean seed with a portable cleaner.

1960s
Harry Stine, President of Stine Seed Farm, joins his father, Bill, in the soybean cleaning venture. During the mid-1960s, Stine Seed Farm erects a modern soybean seed production facility and warehouse near Adel, Iowa.

1968
Harry Stine initiates one of the first private soybean research and development firms in the United States. This soybean breeding organization is known as Improved Variety Research (IVR), and is jointly owned by five seedsmen. All research work is conducted at Stine Seed Farm and is directed by Harry Stine and Bill Eby, the head plant breeder.

1973
Improved Variety Research is dissolved. Stine and Eby form Midwest Oilseeds, which today is the largest and most successful soybean research and development program in existence.

1975
Stine Seed Company begins a program to breed and develop high yielding hybrid seedcorn.

1979
Stine Seed Farm enters the retail trade. Stine brand soybean seed, "Home of the New Varieties," is born. The retail division is headed by Paul Bissinger.

1984
In five short years, Stine brand soybean seed has established a marketing organization from Ohio to Colorado. During this time, Stine has achieved sales in excess of half a million units. Farmers all across the soybean belt are becoming familiar with Stine brand soybean seed...soybean seed which is bushels better than the competition.

1990
The Stine dealer force grows to 1700 dealers in 15 Midwestern states, marketing in excess of one million units of soybean seed. For the first time, Stine Dealers have the opportunity to market hybrid seed corn.

1991
Stine Seed Company is the largest domestic, privately owned seed company in the U.S. Stine dealers now market soybeans, hybrid seed corn, and soft red winter wheat. The retail program that started in 1979 is now the 4th largest marketer of soybeans in the U.S.

1994
Stine Seed Company becomes the first company in history to receive a U.S. patent on soybean varieties. Patents are granted on two soybeans: Stine 1570, patent #5304728, and 2550, patent #5304729. These patents protect the seed, the plant, the pollen and the ovule. These patents are a main part of Stine's emphasis on breeding and developing the highest yielding soybean genetics in the world.

1997
Stine Seed Company enters into a non-exclusive collaboration agreement with Monsanto Agricultural Products and Asgrow Seed Company. The agreement is designed to further improve and develop soybean genetics and product development technologies. As a result of the agreement, farmers will have access to the best seed products available in a wider choice of brands, since these technologies will end up not only in Stine branded products, but also in seedstock developed by Stine which is licensed to other seed companies.

Today
Stine Seed Company continues to be the leader in the development and marketing of the highest-yielding products available. In addition to its world-class breeding programs, Stine's biotechnology facility is ranked among the top ten in the industry. This means that Stine Seed Company possesses the traits, the proprietary ability to insert those traits, and the access to markets to get those traits in the hands of farmers. Through it all, Stine remains dedicated to providing world-class genetics and down-the-road service with a smile.