Category: What’s New

Balancing their Business is a Labor of Love

When you can whole-heartedly see the results of a product and can believe in that product and the company that makes it, it is easy to say “yes” to becoming a dealer, even if it means balancing that with full-time careers and a herd of cattle.

That’s exactly what the mother-daughter duo at Foxfire Feed LLC, Pinetown, N.C., has done, but they wouldn’t have it any other way. Mother, Sandra Boyd, works as a secretary for their 5,000-acre row crop farming operation; her oldest daughter, Melinda, is an agronomist, and her youngest daughter and resident-showman, Madison, is away at school at Oklahoma State University. Together, they all work to promote and market feed and mineral and manage the cow herd.

“We just do this on the side, on the weekends, in the afternoons, whenever we get a chance, It’s a fun ‘little hobby’,” Melinda chuckles.

Their little hobby of being BioZyme® dealers started about four years ago. They are dealers for Roy Umbarger & Sons Show Feed and had been purchasing the Sure Champ® products from Umbarger for their own use and having great results with them. Once they started using the products, they were eager to start selling the products. The rest is, as they say, history.

“That worked out really well for us, and now we are selling more than we ever imagined! We just really trusted the products that we purchased, and we wanted to share them with everyone in our area. We first were using the Vita Charge® Cattle Drench and the Sure Champ Cattle.” Melinda said.

She adds that the products speak for themselves, and their success combined with that of their customers has been the best marketing tool that Foxfire Feed has used. She said when they travel to shows, people will often ask them what they do to keep their cattle looking so good.

“We don’t tell them all of our secrets, but we do tell them about the BioZyme products. The Sure Champ keeps them on feed, the green cattle drench, Vita Charge, is really a miracle worker when they do go off feed or are in stressful situations. We use the drench before every show, and we use Vita Charge Climate Control before every show because the heat and humidity are really big factors here in Eastern North Carolina. People notice our livestock and our customers’ livestock. They like what they see, and they buy it from us,” Melinda said.

Not only are they involved in showing their own livestock, but the Boyd family also provides sponsorship to some of the shows in the state. Melinda said the show industry is rapidly growing in Eastern North Carolina. Providing sponsorship to some of the shows not only puts the Foxfire Feed name out there, but it lets their customers know that they believe in them, as much as they believe in the products that the Boyds sell.

She does suggest that anyone that is interested in being a dealer should use the products first, as it helped her family have a greater understanding of how and why they work. However, if that isn’t always possible, she said the resources that BioZyme offers the dealers make being a dealer easy, especially with a busy schedule.

She said the Master Dealer Training Program is great at further explaining products, and the entire staff has been willing to help their dealership during their busy times. Their ASM Justin O’Flaherty always is willing to help them when they have a question.

“The whole company is very helpful if we need something. And with the time management that we have to figure out, it is a juggling act for all of us, that’s for sure,” Melinda said.

Being an outstanding BioZyme dealer is one thing that the Boyds of Foxfire Feed have definitely figured out. They give back to those who trust and use their products and rely on the many resources offered to the dealer network. They are passionate about the products and excited to share them with others. They truly are dealers that exemplify “care that comes full circle.”

Personal Experiences Lead to Protein Promotion

When a dealer has walked a mile, or 20, in his customer’s shoes it makes it clear to understand the trials and opportunities they face each day. Master and VIP Dealer Keith Micke, Glendo, Wyo., knows what it’s like to try to survive in the cattle business and have Mother Nature against you. He is making strides to help his customers stay profitable while providing high-quality nutrition to their herd.

“I ranched at one time, and I have always been one to get the biggest bang for my buck and save money where I could, and my customers are the same way,” Micke said. “If they are having a bad year, I might have a bad year. I am trying to help them get the best possible product for their money.”

Sufficient protein is always a concern going into the fall and winter months, and BioZyme® offers several options to supplement protein in the cattle diets. However, in a year where some ranchers have too much rain and some are suffering from drought, Micke is trying to make sure his customers also get the most for their dollar, especially in a time when calf prices are depressed. Therefore, he is turning his focus on marketing the VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® Protein Meal.

Micke said he typically offers a slight discount on a protein product for about six weeks each fall; and this year, making the choice to focus on the Protein Meal seemed logical after hearing from his customers. The product contains 20% protein, Concept•Aid and the Amaferm® advantage, while being conveniently packaged in 50-pound bags, which he said is easier for older ranchers and lady ranchers to handle than the 200-pound tubs.

Micke said promoting and selling the Protein Meal is two-fold. The Protein Meal offers an affordable value; however, it does require a feeder. He said if his customers order a mass quantity of the Protein Meal, yet to be determined, he will provide a VitaFerm mineral feeder for them.

“The mineral feeders will pay for themselves over time. They are big, and have the VitaFerm label right on them, so each time they are out in the pasture, the producers see ‘VitaFerm’ and think about the value they are receiving when they put mineral out,” Micke said.

He said since he has started keeping the mineral feeders in stock, they have become great sellers. When people see them, they want to try them, and they have great results. He has heard from producers who use them with bulls. They don’t tip over and keep the mineral protected from wind and rain. And, perhaps most importantly, they don’t blow around like the empty tubs.

“The Protein Meal is a hell of a product. It’s not new, but it’s one that producers need to think about when trying to save some money this fall,” Micke said.

He will start marketing the Protein Meal with a mailing that the Marketing Team helped him develop and will launch his promotion at his producer meetings in mid-September. He suggests always working with the ASMs, who are insightful and can help with ideas.

Experience is the best teacher, and having fed the Protein Meal in 2012, when coming through a drought, helped Micke understand the value of the product. To offer a product that helps producers succeed, and helps dealers stay profitable is a great example of care that comes full circle.