Michael and Casey Lance, Calee’s Coops
Diversification Project: On-Farm Feed
Grant Award: $6,000
The Lances are purchasing three-ton grain bins for on-farm storage of bulk feed, reducing transportation costs of buying 50 pound bags from a hardware store to feed 500 chickens and 15 hogs. They are also buying equipment to operate a grinder so that they can eventually make their own feed on the farm. Their long-term plan is to sell feed to others for an additional income stream.
With the storage bins, the Lances are able to create a special recipe of corn, soybean meal, calcium and layer premix. Their feed contains no antibiotics, pesticides, hormones or animal by-products.
The drought in the western United States has driven up the price of feed dramatically, which the Lances have been forced to reflect in the price of their products. Making their own feed helps them control prices to keep customers happy.
The Lances sell to Healthy Harvest Health Food Store, Whistlestop Farm Store, Cagen and Cagen Chiropractic, Wild Indigo Catering and Food Matters Market. They serve approximately 200 customers weekly. They were the first Transylvania County recipient of a Slow Money NC loan, which is helping them with their diversification project.
See www.buyappalachian.org/listing/calee-s-coop-s.
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