Cattlemen learn about products, services

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Fabric buildings are an option for cattle operations that provide good ventilation for the animals.

Greenfield Contractors LLC was one of many companies that were available for cattlemen to learn about options for their operations at the trade show of the Illinois Beef Expo.

“One thing that sets us apart is we offer a maintenance program, which really alleviates some of the pressure on the user,” said Sean Breese, salesperson for the company.

“We come to the farm once a year and do a 35-point inspection of the building,” Breese said. “We make needed adjustments or repairs onsite unless the materials need to be ordered.”

The fabric on the building has a 20-year warranty, as well as the hot-dip galvanized steel trusses. The company has been in business 13 years with offices in Princeville, Illinois; Clermont, Iowa; and Sabetha, Kansas.

“We sold a 50-by-368-foot confinement building to a producer in Hanna City and he’s going to use it for feeders and as a cow/calf barn, as well,” Breese said. “He is also doing a 30-by 48-foot manure storage, so it will take us from 1.5 to 2 months to build a barn that size.”

Greenfield specializes in bed pack barns.

“Our barns are also used for hay, grain, machinery or commodity storage,” Breese said.

For more information about Greenfield Contractors LLC, go to www.greenfield-contractors.com or call 309-215-0923.

This Old Farm

The mission of This Old Farm Inc. is to partner with farmers to help them with their direct-to-consumer marketing of meat.

“We have a meat processing plant where we process cattle four days a week, pigs one day a week and sheep and goats one day a month,” said Matthew Sims, sales representative for the farm that is located at Colfax, Indiana.

This is the first time Sims has participated in the trade show at the beef expo.

“We have farmers coming from Illinois, Kentucky, Wisconsin and Michigan to do processing with us because of what we offer,” Sims said.

“We have vacuum-sealed packaging, we do private labels for the farmer and we do a lot of specific value-added products like jerky, snack sticks and summer sausage, so if the farmer wants it, we can do it,” he said. “And if the have a special recipe, we can make that recipe for them.”

The operation is U.S. Department of Agriculture federally inspected facility.

“We have 100% traceability, so we guarantee you get your animal,” Sims said.

“We have two shifts of processing and we’re building a new building to double our processing capacity,” he said. “It doesn’t do any good for farmers if we can’t get their animals in on a timely manner, so we’re able to get animals in within three to four weeks after a farmer calls us.”

As a farm specialist, Sims travels to customers’ farms for consulting.

“My goal is four farm visits per year and I go to their place to see what they’re doing and offer consulting on how we can help,” Sims said.

“We are partnering in a beginning farmer grant, so I meet with beginning farmers and talk about their next three steps,” he said. “We try to help them because we want to see them succeed in getting their good, healthy food on the table.”

This Old Farm has also planned a grade and yield seminar that will feature a professor from Purdue University.

“It will be free for our farmers to teach them about grade and yield and how to read grade and yield reports,” Sims said.

Information about This Old Farm can be found at www.thisoldfarm.com or call 765-418-3653.

BioZyme

“Our company, BioZyme, has a high-quality proprietary ingredient, Amaferm, and we are the only ones that can make this probiotic,” said Troy Goretska, Illinois and Iowa area sales manager for BioZyme Inc. “Everything we do as far as animal nutrition and supplementation is to deliver Amaferm to animals.”

Amaferm focuses on efficiency and gut health.

“A lot of things affect the animal negatively or positively through their gut function,” Goretska said. “If we can make healthier, more reproductive and efficient animals, that’s what helps producers’ bottom line.”

The company’s Sure Champ line of products is focused on challenges of show exhibitors.

“When young people take animals to show it’s a stress so our products help alleviate stress,” Goretska said. “A result of stress a lot of times is diarrhea and Clench can help as a reactionary product.”

Goretska recommends administering the Clench paste to the animal before leaving home to go to a show.

“We have four kids that are all active in showing and whether its cattle, sheep or goats we put them on Clench,” he said. “I give it to the animals every day we’re traveling.”

Sure Champ Climate Control gel is a product that helps animals with temperature regulation.

“When steers and heifers are coming out of a climate-controlled room, this product helps with heat abatement and to regulate their temperature by increasing circulation,” Goretska said.

To learn more about products from BioZyme, go to www.biozymeinc.com or call 800-821-3070.