Joshua C. Ernst is a seventh generation family farmer at Ernst Grain and Livestock in Clear Spring, Maryland.
He began selling non-GMO feeds in 2014 after spotting a small but growing demand for higher-quality farm feeds. Four years later, Ernst launched Homestead Harvest, a specialty feed venture.
Homestead Harvest packs its chicken, pig, cow, goat and sheep blends with natural supplements and key essential oils. Products also contain ingredients like kelp and black oil sunflowers.
We spoke to Ernst about the benefits of high-quality feeds and the importance of sustainable practices. We also discuss why cayenne pepper is great for chickens.
The Roots Of Homestead Harvest
“We are farmers ourselves and have had hogs on our farm since the early 1900s,” explains Ernst, when asked about how his interest in farm feed came about.
“We had the equipment to make feed just for our own animals. We’re grain farmers as well, so we’d grow our grain, process it and then feed it.”
Much of the market for Ernst Grain and Livestock’s pigs comes from buyers at farmers markets who are searching for pasture-fed, non-GMO pork.
“When customers started asking us for non-GMO-fed hogs, we switched over to supply that demand,” says Ernst. “We saw there’s a demand for non-GMO feeds. It all started from there.”
Farm Feed Or Pet Food?
Ernst says that he often tells customers “we don’t make feed—we make pet food.”
He adds that many feeds on the market are packed with by-products due to “the design of big-ag where cost is everything to make a profit.”
This has also created a comfortable niche for Homestead Harvest: “There isn’t as big of a demand for high-quality feed, but, for a farmer like me, it’s kinda everything.”
Chickens Love Cayenne Pepper
If you browse through Homestead Harvest’s feeds, you might be surprised to see that cayenne pepper is added to their chicken feeds.
It’s an addition that came about after Ernst was speaking to a customer who was a chef. “She kept requesting I add it to the feed,” he says.
“I did some research into it and discovered that broilers fed cayenne pepper would grow more effectively and that it helps increase laying rate.
“According to the feed supplement company I work with, cayenne pepper also has anti-inflammatory, anti-allergen, anti-fungal and anti-irritant properties. And it is also a source of vitamins.”
Goats And Black Oil Sunflowers
A key ingredient in Homestead Harvest’s goat feed is black oil sunflowers. Again, this came about after Ernst reacted to a customer demand for it.
“Black oil sunflowers help make the goat’s coat shiny,” he says. “I often have customers tell me what they want. And I start working with them to get feedback.”
The Benefits Of Oregano In Feed
Ernst says that oregano is a key ingredient in many of his feeds.
“That’s one of the main essential oils that are added to feed,” he explains, before mentioning that university research has shown “it’s effective and increases growth rates.”
Keeping Feed Sustainable to Stay Profitable
The history of Ernst Grain and Livestock involves a commitment to sustainable practices. The farm was the first in Maryland to be awarded Certified Agricultural Conservation Stewardship status in 2010.
“We’ve found that when you take care of the soil and try to be more sustainable, it’s also good for our farm from a profitability standpoint,” explains Ernst. “When the soil is healthier, you get more crops and there’s more profit margin. We look at it that way, too.”
Follow Homestead Harvest at Instagram.
One reply on “Homestead Harvest Makes Sustainable Specialty Feed”
Also the cayenne pepper birds can’t taste the spicy …. but the mice or rats can and won’t get into your feed and in turn keeping your feed safer and healthier