A Coordinated Effort Will Help the VFD Transition

It’s pretty likely a majority of your customers have heard of the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) that went into effect January 1. If a livestock producer has read an industry publication, attended any type of producer meeting or even picked up some literature at his or her local farm store, he or she knows that the VFD is here. But, do the producers understand what VFD means and how to coordinate efforts with their veterinarian and feed dealer for a smooth transition?

“Bring up the VFD in conversation, and encourage producers to have an established relationship with their veterinarians,” says Kevin Glaubius, Director of Nutrition and Technical Sales with BioZyme®. Even though the VFD has been talked about during the past year, it is imperative to have a well-established Veterinary Client Patient Relationship (VCPR) before your animals get sick.

“There have been a lot of changes in a short period of time,” Glaubius says. “Don’t wait until a health outbreak occurs in your herd to establish a relationship with a veterinarian.”

In addition to encouraging producers to create a working relationship with a veterinarian, Glaubius suggests educating producers about the importance of proper nutrition.

“Proper nutrition can help animals through times of stress to prevent sickness,” Glaubius says, adding that supplementing with the Vita Charge® Drench on arrival and a Vita Charge Stress Tub in the pen along with good nutrition in the bunk is a preventative measure against sickness during the weaning period that leads to improved animal performance as well.

Once the VCPR is established, the vet will write the directive, which the producer will bring to the feed dealer. Although the directive can be faxed or submitted electronically to the feed dealer, he/she must store a hard copy for two years.

Finally, the dealers need to make sure all forms are filled out properly before selling the medicated feed or supplement. Once paperwork is in order, the sales transaction can be completed.

“Be patient. Be proactive. Make phone calls. Work with your veterinarian as much as possible,”Glaubius suggests. He reminds all dealers and producers there will be a learning curve in the first few months of 2017, as the VFD regulations are new to everyone.

You can find a full list of frequently asked questions and example VFD forms in the Regulatory Section of the Online Dealer Center at www.biozymedealer.com. In addition, any dealer or producer with specific questions should contact Dennis Delaney, Director of Inside Sales, at 816-344-5748 with questions.

Tried and True and a Couple of New Reasons to Feed Amaferm

With nearly 65 years of history, feeding Amaferm® has made raising livestock better. We often rely on past accomplishments to promote and use a product like Amaferm. The truth is, even though Amaferm has been successfully used for decades, there are new and exciting reasons to promote and use Amaferm daily.

Tried and True Reasons

From the beginning, livestock producers have noted increased weight gains, milk production and improved feed efficiency. Research was conducted in the 1980s and ‘90s to explain “how and why” livestock operations were experiencing these benefits. Results indicated Amaferm promoted fungal branching, which allows more bacteria to attach to feed particles. Amaferm contained enzymes and other compounds that promoted both bacterial and fungi growth. Additionally, it was determined Amaferm increased the number of bacteria living in the gut, whether they were passed from the rumen to the small intestine or if they resided in the hind gut. The outcome from gut microbial growth was an increase of 34% in VFA production, forage NDF digestibility of 17% and improved total diet digestibility of 9%. Trials indicated dairy cows responded to Amaferm with a 4 to 5% increase in milk production or growing cattle with 9% increase in gain. When compared to the cost of other technologies used for these same improvements in forage digestibility and animal performance, Amaferm was found to have one of very best return on investment.

And A Couple of New Reasons

Over the past five years, BioZyme® has continued its pledge to discover the benefits of including Amaferm in livestock diets. Producers have consistently given BioZyme testimonials highlighting health, diet adaptation and the ability to maintain feed intake. These testimonials from customers and dealers assist BioZyme in directing research protocols that advance the building of its industry-leading research library.

Last year, University of Tennessee-Martin faculty, along with ASM Ben Neale, solidified the Amaferm advantage with receiving and starting calf feeding programs. They studied the advantage of using the one-two punch of Amaferm as recommended by the Gain Smart™ Stocker program (Vita Charge Cattle Drench and Vita Charge Stress Tubs MOS). The cattle responded immediately to receiving Amaferm during the first week and the calves exhibited that advantage by gaining nearly 10 pounds more than their counterparts. These results indicate the calves had better appetites and were more aggressive when coming to the bunk. After three weeks on Vita Charge Stress Tubs the calves were turned out to graze grass paddocks for four weeks. Calves were weighed, and the trial was completed after the seventh week at the unit. The results showed calves started with Vita Charge Cattle Drench and Vita Charge Stress Tubs MOS gained 0.60 pounds per day more, which translated into a 30-pound weight advantage by the end of the 49-day trial. This data enforces the importance of proper nutritional management during the first three weeks after calves are shipped or weaned and that Amaferm is an essential part of an economically successful starter program.

Several customers have asked if Amaferm is effective with cattle diets that contain ionophores. In a multi-year ongoing study being implemented at The Ohio State University, researchers are providing positive results when using Amaferm in corn silage-based, feedlot receiving diets containing Rumensin and good bunk management. During the first two weeks of starting calves, average daily gain of Amaferm fed calves was 1.23 pounds per day as compared to controls gaining 0.62 pounds per day. The ability of the Amaferm treatments to result in greater average daily gain indicates there was less metabolic stress, and greater diet digestibility during the first weeks in the feedlot. The importance to cattle feeders is they can achieve greater, more efficient diets containing ionophores by simply adding Amaferm to the diet.

The bottom line is Amaferm continues to provide livestock feeders the opportunity to make the animals perform and grow faster as well as be more efficient and profitable. The old and the new, the tried and the true, Amaferm was discovered on added animal performance and the story continues to unfold of the added benefits of including Amaferm in the future.

January 2017 – Letters From Lisa

game chang·er
noun
noun: game changer; plural noun: game changers
1. an event, idea, or procedure that effects a significant shift in the current manner of doing or thinking about something.

With a goal to help ensure safe food and the sustainable use of antibiotics for animals and humans, the FDA published the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) to promote the responsible use of antibiotics for food-producing animals. The regulation requires a VFD for all medically important antibiotics (those important in human health) administered in feed, and a veterinary prescription for all medically important antibiotics used in water. However, there are concerns that FDA’s position could disproportionately affect small livestock farmers, have a negative effect on animal health and increase the cost of producing food while not improving public health.

Michael R. Taylor, FDA’s Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine, said “We believe that veterinarians should work with their clients to explore alternative approaches for managing certain animal health conditions, and we will be working with animal producers and drug companies to make any needed changes in approved conditions of use. Antimicrobial resistance is everyone’s problem. It requires determination and cooperation to make the changes needed to protect the utility of these life-saving drugs. We are grateful for the way our partners and stakeholders across the food system are responding to this challenge.”

4keypointsAll this sounds like a game changer to me. As business leaders, how do we manage a game changer and still GROW exponentially? And yes it is possible because when there is a will there is a way. Here are some ideas:

  1. Be Aware – Be aware of the emotions and needs of others, and how all of this will be embraced in the market.
  2. Have Purpose – If you want to maximize the value of a real game changer have a purpose that serves, improves, helps and inspires.
  3. Focus on Relationship – All business boils down to people (employees, customers, partners, investors, vendors, etc.), and people mean relationships.
  4. Transform – If nothing changes, if nothing is created, if nothing is improved, if nothing is transformed, then you don’t have a game changer. You simply cannot experience sustainable improvement without transformation.

It was Albert Einstein who said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” Don’t get entangled in complexities – become heavily invested in the simplicity of using a game changer to your advantage.

Dealer Spotlight: Tennessee River Music

It is easy for Tennessee River Music to market and sell BioZyme® products. They have seen great success with many of the products on their own cattle enterprises, and John and Randa Starnes of Fort Payne, Ala. say the success they have had with the products helps sell them to other producers.

“If we didn’t believe in the products we wouldn’t use them or sell them,” Randa says.

John says they started selling BioZyme products nearly four years ago when they had seen positive results on their purebred Hereford and Angus operation. There wasn’t a dealer nearby, and the products they wanted were not always readily available. They decided to become BioZyme dealers so they would have the products on hand, and they could help other producers in the area secure a high-quality nutrition package.

“We are our biggest customer, but we have several smaller producers in the area that know we keep products on hand in our commodity shed,” John said. “We don’t have a retail store, but people know we are usually around if they need something, and as long as it isn’t midnight, I’ll help them load up what they need.”

John says Tennessee River Music’s customer base covers about a 100-mile radius, with a few customers further out. John, who has a master’s degree in ruminant nutrition, wanted to provide a service to area cattle producers while having another venue to network with them. Adding BioZyme products seemed like a natural fit.

John says the products really do sell themselves, and once a producer tries a particular product, repeat customers become the norm. At their bull stud, they put a 50 lb. VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® Protein Tub in each pen, something that bull owners from across the southeast take note of. He also says that this year, with the extreme heat and drought, the VitaFerm HEATTM mineral is a perfect fit for their operation.

HEAT helps their cattle shed off, tolerate the midday heat and is fed to their spring calving cows that are bred in the summer time heat.

“During this time of extreme drought, the protein tubs have proven to be a cost- effective way to add supplemental protein. This year, we have seen these products pick up in sales due to the ease of handling, where most people aren’t set up to handle loads of feed, and the devoid of pasture in our area,” John said. “When we start explaining to producers that it’s 20% natural protein that contains a mineral package that also includes Amaferm® and all of its proven benefits at a one pound inclusion rate, it really is a cost-effective option. We look at is as a three-in-one product – mineral, protein and Amaferm.”

Another favorite product is the Vita Charge® Stress Tub that John puts out for the first few weeks of weaning. He says these encourage calves to have a steady appetite, and in all the weaning seasons he has used them for, both the fall and spring calving herds, he has not had to treat a single calf for bloat or respiratory illness.

One product that John and Randa have found fairly simple to market is the 50 lb. Concept•Aid Protein Tub. John says a couple of factors play into that product’s popularity. First, the average herd size in their area is less than 25 cows. The tubs are the perfect size for the smaller producers. Next, many farms in the area rely on the wife to take care of the livestock while the husband works off-farm. The 50 lb. size is much more manageable for a woman than a 200 lb. tub. And finally, the popularity of raising and showing goats in the southeast has risen in the past few years, and the 50 lb. tub is just the right size for goat raisers according to John.

“Believe in the product you are trying to sell and know why it is better than brand X,” John said.

Marketing the New Cow-Calf Mineral

It’s no secret that times are tough. Producers are constantly looking for ways to stretch their dollars. And luckily for them, BioZyme® is always developing new products with its producers’ best interests in mind while still utilizing its key ingredient, Amaferm®, in all products.

As BioZyme rolls out its new VitaFerm® Cow-Calf Mineral, producers will now have a lower-cost mineral option available to them during “belt- tightening” times or during times of the year when they choose to maximize savings.

“This mineral package was designed for the price conscious producer looking to lower their input costs,” said Alan Lee, Director of Sales – South. “But it is still a better option than other economy mineral lines because it contains Amaferm.”

According to Lee, many producers will sacrifice quality to buy the cheapest product at a local farm or box store. And in the end, those producers discover they get what they pay for. While the new VitaFerm Cow-Calf Mineral does not contain the same level of vitamin and minerals as all other VitaFerm mineral products, it does still exceed NRC requirements. The big ticket to marketing the VitaFerm Cow-Calf Mineral is to remind customers they will still see the Amaferm advantage when using this product.

“Producers can keep their cows on Amaferm at a lower price point,” Lee said. Lee encourages producers to continue feeding VitaFerm Concept•Aid® during the critical times of production like breeding and prior to calving to get the most return on their investment. However, he says due to the Amaferm being included in the lower cost mineral package, producers should still see increased appetites, initial gain and increased feed conversion from VitaFerm Cow-Cow Mineral in the down time.

The introduction of the VitaFerm Cow-Calf Mineral to the BioZyme line of products is a good way to capture new customers, according to Lee. He encourages dealers to find those producers who have been buying the $18-20 bags of mineral from competing brands and introduce them to this mineral and the Amaferm advantage. He says once they try this mineral, and see some small results, they are likely to try some other products, see big results and be hooked on the BioZyme products. He also recommends marketing this to less-progressive producers who don’t demand great results immediately. Lee adds that the price point of this new mineral option makes it a great product to have on hand, so fill the truck with it to take advantage of better freight rates.

“All dealers have those price conscious customers. This is a good product to put before them, but remind them, they do get what they pay for,” Lee said.

Two Ways to Maximize Profits

Listening to his customers’ goals and watching them learn from their experiences are two of the ways that Don Bush, manager at Powell Feed and Milling, tries to help his customers minimize expenses and maximize their profits. As a BioZyme® dealer in north central and northwest Arkansas, Don tries to use the proactive approach of reaching out to his customer base and identifying their needs.

“We try to get on the phone with our customers as much as possible to find out their goals and understand what they are trying to accomplish with their operations,” Bush said. They have an outside sales person who also tries to get to each of their eight retail locations weekly to maximize personal contact with the customers as much as possible.

The first way that Don helps his customers maximize profits is with one of his most popular products, the VitaFerm® 30-13% Protein Tub, which he says his customers appreciate as a complete mineral package.

“It offers a protein source that works really well in our part of the world, and it has a complete mineral package,” Bush said. “When compared to a traditional tub and bagged mineral program, it is more efficient. Research has proven that a higher percentage of cattle consume mineral on a regular basis when it is in a molasses-based tub versus a dry bagged mineral. So, more of the cattle get the mineral and protein they need, consistently. Consistency is very important in rumen health and efficiency. Amaferm® being part of the package is just like putting a supercharger on a good engine.”

Don says he is excited to market the new VitaFerm Cow-Calf Mineral as a second way to help his customers maximize their profits with a lower-cost option that still offers the Amaferm advantage. When his customers chose a lower-quality product, their cattle don’t perform to their expectations, and they soon realize that the Amaferm advantage saves them money in the long run.

“Amaferm is the key to the products,” Bush said. “The new VitaFerm Cow-Calf Mineral will give us a product to market to producers that offers cost savings without wrecking their cows. This mineral will allow producers to roll back when times are tight, and Amaferm is magic.”

Bush notes that there are multiple ways a complete mineral package saves producers money over time. With a product like Amaferm, producers see increased appetites, increased gains and more productive cows that breed back more efficiently. He adds that a good nutrition programs keeps calves healthy, which lowers vet and animal health bills.

“BioZyme has never had a low-cost option before, and this product should help those producers who want to save money,” Bush said. He hopes that more producers will take the proactive approach to implementing a quality nutrition program, even in tougher times. “This market has caused everyone to tighten their belts and cut costs. But a quality nutrition package will save and make producers money down the road.”

December 2016 – Letters from Lisa

As most of you know, BioZyme® has been around for quite a long time. I would say its “old” but since my birthday is in December, and the mirror seems to think I am getting “old”, I am just going to say this company has had a lot of experience. Author Aldous Huxley states that experience is not what happens to a man: it is what a man does with what happens to him. BioZyme has tried to live through all of this experience by staying focused on innovation, research and outreach that positively impacts the performance of animals so their owners succeed. Our team tried hard to keep that theme going in 2016. See what you think.

Innovation

  • Installation of comprehensive small pack manufacturing capacity, allowing us to manufacture all of our Vita Charge® and Vitalize® gel, liquids, powders and gel caps in-house. This allows for much quicker turn around for these very fast growing lines of products.
  • More loading and fulfillment space for faster order turn around.
  • Faster and increased manufacturing capacity with the installation of the Italian-made Concetti completely automated bagging process. This technology can handle pellets, mash, bran, granules, flakes, or crushed product bagged through a completely automatic IGF bagging machine, capable of reaching a capacity up to 1,200 bags per hour. Our old line could accomplish 2,000 bags per 8-hour shift.
  • A new, more interactive Online Dealer Center to allow for the addition of more useful features for growing and tracking your business.
  • A new VitaFerm® Cow-Calf Mineral that addresses the nutrition minimums of a cow and her calf at a price that is sensitive to the current market challenges without losing the Amaferm® advantage.
  • Adding cool, relevant folks to our team so we can make a difference in the challenges faced by this great industry.

Research

  • A two-year study at The Ohio State University found that cattle fed Amaferm during the first seven days following feedlot arrival, the highest stress period in the feedlot, had double the average daily gain and feed efficiency over the control group.
  • Research completed in Germany at Christian-Albrechts-University determined that BioZyme’s AO-Biotics™ reduced gut leakiness, protected against infection and tissue damage and supported up to 30% more absorptive capacity of nutrients to the monogastric animal.
  • A controlled field trial completed at the University of Tennessee-Martin found cattle given Vita Charge Drench upon arrival recovered more quickly, shown as a significant increase in weight gain during week one. The control cattle actually lost weight during the first week. Those drenched cattle were also fed the Vita Charge Stress Tub for 21 days. This combination resulted in a significant starting advantage during weeks 1-3, but also maintained the advantage throughout the trial, with significantly better ADG and weight gains in weeks 4-7 and 1-7.

Outreach

  • Secured being the authorized partner with Superior Livestock Auction, offering the first-ever and 2017 exclusive value-added nutrition programs. This is a HUGE outreach opportunity for all of us that love our amazing products. No other company has this distinction. Not Purina, not Nutrena, not Kent and not ADM. Go get ‘em, team!
  • Started the Feed the Future Program with the Hereford Youth Foundation of America to support youth – the future of our industry and our country.
  • Sponsored the Junior National shows of 12 cattle breeds and the World Pork Expo, allowing more than 4,000 youth to spin the Sure Champ® wheel and answer nutrition questions to earn prizes.
  • Transported numerous injured war veterans to their necessary medical visits around the country.

Pretty amazing, don’t you think? I am giving you a large bear hug right now. Why? Because you are part of the team that made all this happen. Because you are amazing. I hope you have a blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year. My sales team would be disappointed if I didn’t end the year with a challenge. How many tons will we be able to sell if we find all the amazing strategies to make a difference for producers and animals? I hope it’s a number we can’t even imagine.

lisa-norton-signature

Manage the Cattle for the Markets

In today’s market, cattle producers need to take advantage of every opportunity to increase the value and profit of their calves. Universities and cattle services have been reporting the economic effects of good and bad management practices for decades. One early report is a 1986 extension publication highlighting a sale barn survey that focused on the impact of selected characteristics on feeder cattle prices. Since then, numerous reports have been released to verify the difference in the value of good versus mismanaged calves. Using best management practices for genetics, nutrition and health is the best way to increase your calves’ value at marketing. When the cattle cycle dips, producers shouldn’t stop using these best management practices.

Cattle inherit the ability to grow and convert feed resources into highly valuable carcasses. Using proper nutrition, one can set calves up to make sure they reach their genetic potential. For example, recent studies have shown that proper nutrition during the last 90 days of pregnancy greatly influences the resulting calf crop’s performance. Meeting the needs of gestating cows, or fetal programming, is a powerful tool. Satisfying the cow herd’s requirements during pregnancy for energy, protein, vitamins and minerals has been shown to increase colostrum intake and calf health (reduced incidences of scours), weaning weight (by 40+ pounds), replacement herd fertility (up to 15% more pregnancies), feedlot performance, carcass quality grade (near 10% greater Choice carcasses)… the list goes on and on. Truly, the cow-calf producer is “large and in charge” of the lifetime performance of calves, often before those calves are even born.

Maximizing forage digestion during late pregnancy is an important part of fetal programming. There are several complementary management practices that can get the most nutrition out of primarily forage cow diets. For example, Amaferm®, a prebiotic included in all VitaFerm® products, enhances forage digestibility elevating the energy and protein of essentially all classes of forages. Providing protein supplements can further increase forage intake and allow cows to maximize their utilization of forages to meet their nutritional needs. Complementing with minerals, trace minerals and vitamin supplements completes the feeding program. Inclusion of complete mineral supplements give cattlemen the confidence their cow herds will remain fertile and healthy.

Well-managed calves give an operation the option of taking advantage of a variety of marketing opportunities. Sale barn and auction sales price analyses over the past three decades have repeatedly shown the value advantages of good management practices. Timely castration, dehorning, and vaccinations, along with maintaining the correct flesh and health have constantly demanded premium prices. Calves managed correctly continue to meet marketing opportunities for maximum profits as they develop, giving owners multiple selling opportunities from the time they are weaned until they are sold to packers.

Successfully raising and marketing calves is a system combining many elements of good management practices. Don’t stop using the best management practices along with solid supplementation programs during a down market. These two elements will help producers reach maximum profit potential. By utilizing VitaFerm supplements, producers can enhance forage digestion, providing needed minerals and vitamins, and maximize a cow herd’s potential and profit.

When Times Get Tough…Don’t Stop

Supplementation programs will always be important building blocks for cow herd nutrition programs. During “belt tightening” times, getting the most bang for your buck becomes even more critical when selecting which, how much and what supplements to feed. It has been repeatedly proven that proper mineral, feed additive and protein supplementation will economically increase beef production. Supplementation can increase the pounds of calves weaned through improved reproduction and by increased weight gains.

Cases in point:

  • Positive fetal programming increases calf weight gains, carcass premiums and reproductive rates.
  • Improved body condition score lends to increased pregnancy rates.
  • Higher fertility equates to more pounds weaned per cow exposed.
  • Increased immunity leads to decreased sickness.

For decades producers have known that supplementing gestating cow diets with the trace mineral zinc has reduced the number of retained placentas. The 2010 Beef Improvement Federation proceedings indicated that organic trace mineral supplementation can improve weaning weight more than 40 pounds, and Oregon research has also supported a substantial weaning weight advantage (nearly 50 pounds). A 2016 Journal of Animal Science article reported the treatment for bovine respiratory disease in feedlot calves was reduced by 50% when their mothers were supplemented in the last trimester with organic trace minerals. Research continually shows that increasing forage digestion unlocks dietary energy and protein that allow cows to increase body condition score, return to estrus and improve pregnancy rates.

If we would shop for supplements like we shop for television viewing packages, we would be looking for bundles of service, packages that put several items together for the best value. It should be the same with nutritional supplements. VitaFerm® supplements are formulated to address several needs at once. Amaferm®, found in all VitaFerm products, is a natural feed additive that acts as a prebiotic and increases forage digestibility. The increase in digestibility lowers the dependency on the amount of protein supplement often required and increases the energy and protein derived from the diet. VitaFerm supplements contain the appropriate type and amount of mineral, organic trace mineral and vitamin fortifications to balance diets; ensuring cow herds will remain productive, healthy and fertile. VitaFerm products give producers a cost effective “bundled” supplement program.

The cow-calf operations that continue using solid supplementation programs, regardless of the state of the cattle market, will be making management decisions that produce profits. Don’t stop supplementation because you think it will save you money down the road. By utilizing VitaFerm supplements, producers can enhance forage digestion, provide needed minerals and vitamins, and maximize a cow herd’s potential and profit.

Dealer Spotlight: Mid Nebraska Feeds

There is probably not a better example of customer service than at the little ole’ feed store in Grand Island, Nebraska.

It’s a place called Mid Nebraska Feeds that is managed by Amy Jo Kent. Amy Jo has been in this job for more than five years but has worked to enhance the concept of customer service for decades.

Since 2011, her day has been to open the feed store doors, smile, assist, call, text, order, lift, load and smile some more until the doors are locked at closing time. Amy Jo manages the entire business, ranging from cleaning the store to bookkeeping and accounting and everything else in between. And she keeps busy with customer service tasks and planning even when she’s at home.

Each day, Mid Nebraska Feeds has approximately 30 to 40 people in and out of its doors. This kind of traffic is attributed to Amy Jo’s keen ability to take care of her customers, no matter what.

“As manager, I do whatever it takes to service customers from farm deliveries, ordering special products or staying after hours for a customer pickup,” she says. “That’s what we’re known for. We bend over backwards to please people and do whatever it takes, over and above the call of duty.”

Mid Nebraska Feeds customers span a 150-mile radius and because of the distance, many need to meet to pick up product after store hours. This has never been a problem for Amy Jo. She has two full-time employees and people in the field who also share her belief in customer service and team work.

The store is also the main feed and supply source for Fonner Park and the Nebraska State Fairgrounds. When an event takes place at these Grand Island facilities, the store is called to make deliveries of feed, bedding and supplies for horse, cattle and goat shows, as well as the county and state fair events.

Amy Jo and her employees also take care of racetrack patrons by making daily deliveries to their tack rooms at no additional charge. “It’s there when they come back for evening chores,” Amy Jo says. “Whether it’s 10 or 120 bags we’ll handle anything they need with fast customer service.”

Amy Jo relies on her computer, smart phone and tablet to keep track of orders, event schedules and employees. She is constantly on her cell phone because she doesn’t want to miss a call from a customer who needs feed. If they can’t get ahold of her, they might go to another source, and she says that could throw their animals off feed by changing their diet.

“If someone needs a product they know to call me, and I’ll meet them at the store,” she says. “I have many customers I’ve never even met. They email, call or text me what they need, and I ship it to them. Some of my more long-distance customers call or text me with a group order, and I drop ship it to a central location and they go pick up their part. It saves each of them time by not having to drive long distances to the store to pick up feed and supplies.”

Amy Jo is not only a feed store manager but also consults on issues like hoof rot, scours and pink eye. She says she’ll drop everything to research products and make the right recommendations, even if she doesn’t make a sale. Amy Jo says her customers know they can count on her the next time they have questions.

“I love my customers and there’s a lot of smiles and laughter when they walk in the door,” she says. “I take a personal interest in all my customers and their animals. I recommend a feeding program for each animals’ needs whether they are domestic, farm or commercial. Some pets may be elderly, obese or have special dietary needs. I can recommend products that give them a better quality of life while still being cost effective for the owners.”

Amy Jo prides herself on knowing her customers by name and taking an interest in their lives. She attends their 4-H and FFA livestock shows and spends time walking around visiting with each customer to see the animals she helped feed. She celebrates with them when they win that ribbon or trophy and supports them any way she can.

Because Amy Jo’s mentality is all about the customer, she does ask for and receive feedback from them. She keeps her prices intentionally lower so they won’t go to the big box store for feed and she price matches her local competitors to keep her customers happy. Amy Jo says there may be moments she can’t please the customer or that she gets taken advantage of, but it’s all part of the feed store business.

“Running a successful business isn’t always about meeting a volume or monetary goal,” she says. “It’s all about the customers. They are the life-blood of this and every other business. Most of my customers are as loyal to me as I am to them. I’ve worked hard to earn that loyalty, and I appreciate each and every one of them.”