Minnesota horse feed maker turns to forgotten crop as an ingredient and investment

KASSON, Minn. — When researching for her wholesome horse feed, Mary Hartman discovered a key ingredient and a brand new commodity in a principally forgotten crop that hasn’t been broadly grown within the U.S. because the Eighteen Nineties.

“My introduction to sainfoin got here from researching the equine microbiome. I learn an article by a UK researcher who talked about sainfoin as an impressive forage for horses that they like to eat. I had by no means heard of it,” stated Hartman. “It is a actually historical forage legume. It was grown particularly for horses and sheep. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew it. They tried to get it to go right here. It turned out that alfalfa was simpler to develop in wealthy soils, so it was handed over.”

Sainfoin is a perennial crop with purple flowers that’s harvested and baled like alfalfa. After discovering a handful of growers began elevating sainfoin in Montana within the Nineteen Seventies, Hartman tracked them down and began shopping for up sainfoin to make use of in her

StableFeed merchandise

.

“The Montana producers are excited, as a result of there wasn’t a marketplace for sainfoin. They only grew a couple of fields for themselves. Why would you develop a number of one thing when there isn’t any market?” she stated. “Now, I’ve created a marketplace for it.”

Due to Hartman, sainfoin is now being harvested in southeastern Minnesota for the primary time in fashionable reminiscence. Kory Weis, a Pine Island space farmer, planted a patch of sainfoin for Hartman and they’re experimenting with the most effective methods to develop and harvest it.

“We’re the one business suppliers of sainfoin into the market in North America. I’ll transfer 190 tons of sainfoin into the market this 12 months. A few of that will go to South Korea, the place they’ve requested 40 tons,” she stated.

Promoting straight sainfoin pellets is a rising marketplace for Hartman. Nonetheless, additionally it is necessary for her rising enterprise, as a result of sainfoin can also be the bottom ingredient in all 5 of her feed blends for horses with particular well being points.

After beginning in 2017 making

chia horse biscuits

in Rochester basements and garages, Hartman’s wholesome horse treats and feed firm has grown and developed into a well-liked title within the equine market.

StableFeed

outgrew areas in Rochester, so Hartman and her seven workers are actually based mostly in a 3,200-square-foot facility in Kasson.

“The lease is greater in Rochester than Kasson. This facility is ideal, and there’s more room that I may develop into,” she stated trying on the warehouse full of baggage of her merchandise awaiting cargo.

Every of the 5 horse feeds characteristic sainfoin pellets “garnished” with carrots, dandelions, spirulina, prickly pear, burdock, bee pollen and different elements that horses used to eat whereas foraging. StableFeed additionally nonetheless sells the unique 5 varieties of chia biscuits that launched the corporate. Most of her enterprise direct gross sales through her web site.

Whereas her high-end, specialty feeds aren’t low-cost, Hartman factors out that they’re inexpensive than calling a vet to deal with a horse combating intestine points or different well being issues.

When she developed the feeds, Hartman labored carefully with

Minnesota’s Agricultural Utilization Analysis Institute

. AURI is a state-funded nonprofit that spurs financial growth by serving to entrepreneurs develop and launch new merchandise.

Alan Doering, a senior scientist who manages AURI’s Coproducts Utilization Laboratory in Waseca, Minnesota, has labored with the event of a number of animal feeds. Nonetheless, Hartman introduced a number of novel elements to the desk, together with sainfoin.

“I really farm and we develop alfalfa. … I had no thought what sainfoin was. The attention-grabbing factor about sainfoin is that it’s a legume. It is excessive in protein like alfalfa. In contrast to alfalfa, it is non-bloating. So it’s protected for horses,” stated Doering.

He sees a number of promise in sainfoin as a crop in Minnesota.

“I feel the large alternative for sainfoin in Minnesota can be planting it on marginal land. Whether or not it is river backside or whether or not it is hilly land that’s greater in sandy soils, this is a perfect crop to provide protein,” stated Doering.

Alfalfa manufacturing is on the decline in Minnesota with low commodity costs and fewer dairies working within the state. This might present a helpful different to alfalfa for some farmers, he added.

As a perennial, sainfoin may also help farmers who’re involved about erosion.

“It’s principally a residing cowl crop in your soil all through the winter,” Doering stated. “And but, it isn’t a canopy crop, since you’re harvesting it. It is a residing cowl. It’s going to come up, 12 months after 12 months.”

Weis, the farmer who’s rising sainfoin for Hartman within the Pine Island space, stated it stands out from different native crops.

“When every thing else is brown within the fall, after every thing freezes earlier than we get snow, these things was simply as inexperienced as might be proper up till the snow coated it up. And it begins earlier within the spring. It was greening up simply as quickly as the times began getting heat. We get some daylight and it takes off rising,” stated Weis.

He added that the purple flowers are additionally extremely popular with bees. Throughout peak pollinating time, guests can hear the buzzing earlier than the sainfoin area comes into view, in response to Weis.

Trying forward, Hartman expects to develop and promote extra sainfoin. She is optimistic that increasingly more stables and particular person house owners will begin utilizing her feeds and biscuits after they see the distinction the merchandise make in a horse’s well being and look.

She want to construct a brand new facility to show sainfoin into pellets to ramp up manufacturing and carefully management the standard of the pellets.

After all, sainfoin shall be a key a part of the long run progress of StableFeed.

“I actually assume this can be a plant that is time has come. I feel that this can be a plant that might play a extremely huge position within the ag sector, each within the quick time period and the long run,” stated Hartman.