A REAL GRIND
BY ADELINE PANAMAROFF • PHOTO COURTESY OF GULDBERG FARMS
When Ian and Jennifer Guldberg set up a small milling operation to transform their own grains into feed for their sheep and poultry, the couple soon realized they’d hit upon a business opportunity. They formally began a small, direct-to-customer feed business in 2021.
“We’re a pretty typical grain farm here in southern Alberta,” said Ian of the family’s Drumheller area mixed grain operation. The farm operates on a four-year rotation that includes canola, barley, peas, oats, sunflower and wheat.
Word soon got around within the local backyard chicken community, and demand for Guldberg Farms feed products escalated. The business launched with one product, the Complete Lamb Grower, and now offer 28 products sold in 20.4-kilogram bags and as bulk. The Guldbergs also take custom orders. Products include hog feed and several formulations for chickens, ducks, goats, sheep and turkeys. “Our feed mill has been in a continuous state of development since day one—improving equipment, streamlining processes, expanding market reach, refining logistics and ensuring regulatory compliance,” said Ian.
Feed production is carried out within multiple existing farm buildings. The operation utilizes speciality equipment such as multiple roller mills, a hammer mill and mixers as well as grain cleaning and handling equipment commonly used on farms. This season, construction began on a new building that will house cleaning, milling, blending and bagging equipment. The operation processes 500 tonnes of feed per year, and the Guldbergs plan to expand processing capacity and staff this year. “We’re still relatively small, but that’s an amount that we’re pretty proud of,” said Ian.
Canadian Food Inspection Agency certification allows the Guldbergs to sell their feed across Canada and assures customers the product meets federal standards. The mill is one of the only small-scale, family owned and operated feed mills in Alberta.
Jennifer handles milling, mixing and blending feed and the mill’s considerable administrative work. This includes finances, preparation for twice-annual federal inspections and order taking. Ian handles direct-to-customer sales. Their two adult children, who work full time off the farm, lend a hand in the mill and with farm labour. The Guldbergs have also occasionally hired part-time workers.
Catering mainly to the backyard poultry market and subsistence farmers, the Guldbergs generally acquire customers through social media. Hanna area poultry farmer Shawna Johnston found them through a Facebook ad. She prefers to buy local and has used Guldberg feed for her layer hens for several years. “I have left the science to Guldberg Farms to create an optimum feed and feel confident I am feeding my laying hens an excellent feed to produce strong healthy chickens and premium quality eggs,” said Johnston.
The Guldbergs have made small moves toward the commercial feed market, as well. They have produced custom feed blends for larger feed suppliers. “We see that as a strong endorsement of the quality and value of our products,” said Ian. They wish to continue to foster such relationships but also remain focused on their small-scale customers.
The mill brings in a sizable portion of the farm’s total income. As it operates year-round, it has smoothed the financial ups and downs of seasonal crop production. “We’re very pleased with how far the feed business has come,” said Ian. “Our current focus is on managing growth more carefully—shifting from rapid expansion to a more sustainable, steady pace.”
Comments