Cal/West Seeds has a proud heritage as the largest member owned US cooperative devoted exclusively to the seed business. The following chronology provides a timeline of significant events in the development of the organization over the past six decades. There have been many individuals including members, directors and employees who have made a major contribution to the company over the years. The dedication and work of these individuals was and continues to be the spark that moves Cal/West forward.

• 1939… The California Ladino Clover Association was established. The cooperative was formed by 16 Ladino clover seed growers in northern California, hoping to improve their market and put production on a stable economic foundation." Seed was sold under the "Caladino" brand and the name of the organization later became Caladino Farm Seeds to include other seeds that were added to the company’s production and marketing program.
• 1950…Calapproved is established by a nucleus of seven growers and sponsorship of the California Farm Bureau Federation. The original headquarters were in the Farm Bureau offices in Berkeley, California. In 1959, land was acquired in Modesto and an office was built and completed in 1960. The company also had a small sales office in Omaha, Nebraska.
• 1957…Caladino claims 85% of the foreign market for Ladino clover seed. As a result of this emphasis, Caladino was selected for the Presidential "E" Award for Export Expansion and the award ceremony was held in Washington D.C. with President Lyndon B. Johnson making the presentation personally to Caladino President Carl Mehring. Caladino played a key role in producing and supplying Ladino clover to aid in re-vegetation of war-torn Europe and surplus production ended up in the hands of the Commodity Credit Corporation.
• 1959…Caladino inaugurates a full research program. The Initial research facilities consisted of a small rented greenhouse and about two acres of adjacent land adjacent land in West Chicago. Later, 20 acres of land were rented near the county fairgrounds in Woodland, California. A company-owned greenhouse was erected, a few items of equipment were purchased and the research office headquarters were moved into the company’s main office.
• 1969…Caladino and Calapproved are merged to form Cal/West Seeds Inc. The first Board of Directors meeting of the newly formed Cal/West Seeds was held at the El Rancho Hotel in West Sacramento, California on January 17, 1969.
• 1973…Cal/West purchased its present 45-acre research farm in Woodland, California. Sunflowers were added to the research package and marked the beginning of a winter research program in Hawaii.
• 1975…Land is purchased in Wisconsin to establish a Midwest research center to evaluate diseases and provide the necessary research data for major alfalfa seed consuming states in the nation.
• 1986…Multileaf alfalfa is released to the trade by Cal/West Seeds.
• 1987…A joint venture known as VISTA was initiated between Cal/ West Seeds and Research Seeds (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Land O’Lakes Cooperative) to combine the two companies’ research activities. The joint venture was terminated after 5 years resulting from "a friendly difference in philosophy concerning the future structure of the research group."
• 1989…Total pounds of seed sold increase to over 68 million due primarily to the growth in pounds of safflower.
• 1991…Cal/West initiated International R&D with the goal of developing varieties of alfalfa that are better suited for the climate and soils of Mexico. Subsequently this activity has been expanded to include Argentina, France, Australia and Saudi Arabia.
• 1992…A new research/office complex is constructed at Cal/West’s West Salem Wisconsin location to accommodate the addition of a Midwest marketing staff and additional research initiatives.
• 1994…Farm Seed Research program is purchased and integrated into Cal/West’s alfalfa breeding program. This germplasm provided additional genetic resistance to a number of nematode species.
• 1995…Limagrain’s French alfalfa breeding program and germplasm are purchased. This acquisition was instrumental in the development and commercial release of our StandFast alfalfa technology.
• 1996…Cal/West purchases certain assets of Sacramento Valley Milling relating to Ladino clover and Dichondra.
• 1996…Cal/West developed proprietary Leafhopper resistant alfalfa varieties are released to the trade.
• 1997…Cal/West established the first in-house bio-technology lab devoted to alfalfa development. Several biotech projects that hold significant potential for increasing the value of the alfalfa crop are currently underway. In addition, the Former East German Federal alfalfa breeding program germplasm is purchased.
• 2000…Cost reduction and inventory management measures are implemented to rationalize the business and keep costs in line with market trends.
• 2001…Producer’s Choice is incorporated in California as a wholly owned subsidiary of Cal/West Seeds. Its initial mission being to establish a dealer network in the central valley of California to distribute Cal/West products directly to dealers and producers.
• 2004…Cal/West Seeds SRL is incorporated in Buenos Aires, Argentina to distribute Cal/West products directly to seed dealers. Argentina is the second largest alfalfa market in the world second only to the US.
• 2005…PGI Alfalfa Inc is purchased and integrated with Producers Choice Seed. Producer’s Choice distribution is expanded beyond California to include more of the major US forage seed market regions.
• 2006…Woodland office and research facilities are consolidated on a 70-acre site near Woodland, California. This is the culmination of a plan set in motion in 2000 that included the sale of the Woodland office and plant facilities. The land previously occupied by the Research facility is part of a development project requiring relocation. This is being accomplished via an exchange of properties in order to minimize the tax implications.
• 2008…Grassland Central and Target Seeds merged with Producer’s Choice.  The Jordan, Minnesota location of Grassland Central became the Midwestern Business location for Producers Choice.  Warehouse space was expanded to facilitate the increase in volume and to ensure good customer service.  The addition of Target Seeds broadened the geographic distribution of Producer’s Choice and established Producer’s Choice as a leader in the distribution of Teff grass via the addition of the variety Tiffany.