How can you lock up 80 to 90% of your previous year's sales in late August, before anyone has harvested a grain of corn or beans? This year, Beck's Hybrids did it without even announcing seed corn prices. The only pledge they made was that they would be competitive.

Recently, Holly Spangler, Prairie Farmer editor, Mareitta, Ill., in west-central Illinois, contacted several seed companies to see how they approached fall sales. From Tom Burrus at Burrus Seeds in northern Illinois to Pioneer sales reps, the consensus was that farmers are ordering seed earlier. There was a time when December was the big month for companies to begin advertising for seed sales in magazines and direct mailings. That would continue throughout the early winter months. Now September through November are hot and heavy months for seed sales.

Normally 5,000 to 6,000 folks pass through Becks Hybrids plant near Atlanta, just south of the Tipton County line, over a three-day period. That includes families. Many families make it an all-day outing, especially on Saturday when kids are out of school. Once a four-day event that extended into Sunday, last year and this year Becknology Days are a three day event.

And perhaps 'event' explains how they pull such a crowd and sell product. There are several serious crops tours, sometimes up to a dozen, operating around –the-clock each day. Many take visitors out to their practical farm research plots. This year was no exception. Sonny Beck himself, often with son Scott, now a vice President and also a Master Farmer, leads one of the tours. In fact, Scott, Sonny and Sonny's dad Frances have all been named Master Farmers in the modern era of the program.

One year ago Sonny stunned the crowd during his 'president's tour' by talking about $350 to $400 per bag seed corn within the next three to four years. Already, there are reports within the industry that seed for the elite hybrids with all the bells and whistles could reach $330 or higher list for '09. Perhaps he was ahead of his time when he made his predictions a year ago.

Hot topics this year continue to be the variety of traits that can be offered. Since Becks is independent, they offer traits from various players in the industry, depending upon what they believe their customers want to buy.

Seed treatments are also becoming a bigger factor. Becks, like many other companies, offers a wide variety of seed treatments, especially for soybeans. They also continue to test some 'out-of-the-mainstream products that are not yet popular in this part of the Midwest.

So why does their concept work to garner early sales? Is it the carnival like, friendly atmosphere? Free meal? Plot tours? Discounts and give-aways for early ordering? Whatever it is, it was difficult to talk to any one of their bevy of sales people located behind sales counters in the warehouse last week. The warehouse serves as tour headquarters. The sales people were simply too busy with paying customers to do nearly anything else.