Riddell Seed Co. is a full-service seed production company providing seed leading genetics to our commercial producer customers and full-service seed increase services to seed variety developers, distributors, and pedigreed seed producers.
Our people, facilities, and wide range of crops allow us to deliver the high-quality seed our customers require. Our seed increase division offers the specialized equipment, processes and accreditations to deliver the purity, quality, and attention our contract customers require for early generation seed increase needs.
Our Location and land base can produce a large range of crop kinds from the traditional cereals and oilseeds to high value special crops.
Established in the year 2000 our extensive history of seed production can help our seed increase customers navigate Canadian and international seed production requirements. We are recognized as Canadian Seed Growers’ Association Select and Variety Maintainer status growers to offer our customers the ability to produce all levels of seed including pre-breeder, breeder, select, foundation, registered, and certified classes.
Our location, close to Winnipeg Manitoba, provides close access to domestic and international shipping options to receive and distribute seed to and from anywhere.
Our Story
Riddell Seed Co. evolved from Riddell Farm Enterprises Ltd. originally operated by Cousin Cliff Riddell and his wife Anne on the long-time family farm homestead of Royden Riddell at our current location near Warren, MB.Â
Upon completion of his education as a Mechanical Engineer at the University of Manitoba in 1998, Craig Riddell continued to work for Riddell Farm Enterprises where he had worked summers since he was a young boy. In 2000 Craig formalized his desire to continue his involvement in agriculture, forming a partnership in a new corporation with Cliff and Anne Riddell. A small portion of the farms land base had been dedicated to pedigreed seed production, providing Craig exposure to the seed industry which he found to be an exciting and interesting specialization to pursue. From those beginnings Riddell Seed Co. grew and quickly evolved to have the majority of our acreage producing pedigreed seed with our specialization in early generation seed increase developing through the years.
The mechanical specialization needed to support the seed production and processing business allowed Craig the ideal outlet to combine his passions for agriculture and engineering. Craig has been active in seed industry associations being Past President of the Manitoba Seed Growers’ Association and a current director of SeCan.
Craig and Colleen Riddell were married in 2002 and soon built a new home on the farm where they eventually welcomed Daughter Maria in 2009 and son Hayden in 2011. Colleen’s career in the IT industry provided her a solid background to move into full time involvement in the seed business where she manages the office and takes care of accounting activities. Daughter Maria has taken up the roll of Chief Roguing Officer, running a crew of capable local students doing much of the roguing required through the summer to remove off type plants from high purity early generation seed crop fields. Son Hayden likes to be involved in farm yard maintenance in the summer.
The family is active in many sports and community groups and enjoys camping, water sports, skiing/snowboarding, and travelling.
We could not operate our business without our dedicated staff who allow us the ability to manage the details of a pedigreed seed operation, keep farm operations moving and develop and maintain our seed production and processing equipment.