Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa delivered remarks on April 28 celebrating the centennial of agricultural innovation marked by the founding of Pioneer Seeds. Grassley used his speech to highlight the contributions of Henry A. Wallace and his family to American agriculture.
The centennial, according to Grassley, is an opportunity to reflect on a century of progress in farming and seed development that has had a lasting impact on corn production across the United States. The senator outlined how hybrid seed corn, pioneered by Wallace in Iowa, transformed yields for farmers nationwide.
“2026 is an opportunity to talk about a centennial of progress in American agriculture and a famous Iowa family that was involved in that,” Grassley said. He recounted the history of three generations of Wallaces who shaped agricultural policy and practice: Henry C. Wallace served as Secretary of Agriculture under President Harding; Henry A. Wallace later held cabinet positions under Franklin Roosevelt and ran for president as the Progressive Party candidate in 1948.
Grassley described how Henry A. Wallace developed hybrid corn varieties with an Iowa State University professor, leading to dramatic increases in yield from about 20 bushels per acre before hybridization to more than 200 bushels today. “So, Henry A. Wallace… revolutionized corn yields by crossing open-pollinated corn varieties,” he said.
He also noted personal experience with these changes: “When I started farming in 1960 when my dad died, I was probably producing about 50 bushel[s] of corn to the acre. More recently, we’ve reached that 200 bushel level.” According to the official website, Grassley is one of only two farmers currently serving in the Senate and actively raises corn and soybeans in Butler County, Iowa.
Grassley’s background includes service as a sheet metal shearer and assembly line worker before entering politics according to his official website. He served in the Iowa state legislature from 1958 until 1974 according to his official website.
In addition to his legislative work, Grassley assists Iowans with federal agency matters and whistleblower issues according to his official website. He earned degrees in political science from the University of Northern Iowa according to his official website and has been married since 1954 with five children according to his official website.
Looking ahead, Grassley’s remarks suggest continued appreciation for innovation within agriculture: “And we have some people… who have even produced corn yielding [upwards] [of] 350 bushel[s] per acre… but we have sure made great progress.”
