Why Organic Feed Can Be Hard to Find in the USA
If you are having trouble finding a source of organic poultry feed, here is an explanation why and what www.organicfeeds.biz is doing about it for you.
Organic feed can only be produced in certified organic mills or combined by certified mixers. These mills and mixers can only use ingredients that come from certified organic grain producers. An organic certification is costly so only a few grain producers and mills around the nation go through the process. There are many more standard grain producers and mills in comparison. You can buy this stuff in any feed store.
A lot of organic grain production occurs in northeastern states. Many feed mills are located in the same region. For example the states in the deep-south, except TX, do not have any organic feed mills.
A lot of information on the internet is outdated and confusing. We’ve spend months emailing and talking on the phone to get the facts straight. You can find our list of organic chicken feed producers and retailers here.
Feed producers such as mills have the best price for bagged organic feed, but not all mills sell bagged feed direct to consumers. Some make feed in bulk for livestock farms that produce organic meat products, or they sell their feed to retail distributors.
Only a relatively small percentage of retail feed stores sell organic feed. The reasons are because of its higher price, lower demand, and its short shelf life (30-60 days). It’s good to verify how long feed has been sitting on the shelf so you aren’t buying old stuff. Most stores will often happily include your order with their regular shipments from the producer.
Here is what www.organicfeeds.biz is doing for you. We have gone state by state to find certified organic feed mills and producers that will ship feed direct to you. If we do not sell feed in your state that’s because we are still negotiating with a producer, or the producer does not ship small units of feed (bulk only).
If you don’t have a mill or retail store nearby, our recommendation is to buy feed from the state with a producer closest to you. This will guarantee freshness. It may cost a little more than if you buy it from a retail store in a city next to you (if it is available), but it will save you the hassle, drive time, and gas. Remember, retail stores also have to cover their shipping cost and they pass that on directly to the consumer. The best price and quality always comes directly from the feed producer.
Another common option is to form a feed co-op in your area. It can be a bit tricky getting started or handling the orders. We can help you with the leg work and provide you affordable organic feed. Learn more here.
If you are considering making your own feed because of cost, we’ve got some information that may help you make a decision. Learn more here.
Go ahead and compare the products in our store. Pick which has the ingredients you prefer and location it’s shipped from. We have a shipping estimator to help you determine overall costs. You can be confident you are getting the best deal on the Internet.
