A Delivery of Nature's Best Organic Feed
With four horses, three donkeys, two hundred chickens, and three geese, we go through quite a bit of feed at the farm. Our feed is delivered from Bennie's Feed Barn, located in Bedford Hills, New York. I am very concerned with what my animals eat and I was happy to learn that Bennie's stocks Nature's Best Organic.  Nature's Best Organic Feed is made and distributed by Kreamer Feed, Inc., located in Kreamer, Pennsylvania, a company that has been in business for sixty years. Their mill is used exclusively for certified organic feed manufacturing. The rules that govern the growing of organic grain are designed to enhance the life of the soil. Without the use of insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides, widely used in non-organic situations, the soil remains healthy with plenty of organic matter. It makes perfect sense that healthy soil produces healthy crops to feed healthy livestock.
1 A panoramic view of Nature's Best Organic Feeds
2 The Old and the new at Nature's Best - new organic corn bins erected in 2008 and original Kreamer Feed mill from 1953
3 A Nature's Best bulk feed truck for large organic dairy and poultry deliveries
4 Unloading beautiful organic corn
5 A Nature's Best truck being loaded with organic feed pellets
6 Kreamer Feed Inc. founded and owned by the Robinson family is the parent company of Nature's Best Organic Feeds.
7 A delivery truck fueling up to go
8 Another view of the mill
9 The Nature's Best logo
10 A nice view of the neat and tidy headquarters
11 This is the exterior of Bennie's Feed Barn.
12 Inside, the shelves are loaded with all kinds of animal care products.
13 Floor to ceiling is stacked with sacks of feed.
14 And canned food, also
15 Nature's Best Organic Feed is what we use at the farm.
16 These are heat lamps like the ones we use in the chicken coops during cold weather.
17 Buckets, tubs, and feeders of all sizes.
18 These are watering devices for baby chicks and such.
19 Many types of feeders and waterers to choose from
20 Bennie's truck arrived at the farm to make a delivery.
21 Backing up to the stable garage
22 This is Mike, aka Bennie, of Bennie's Feed Barn.
23 The logo on the back of his vest - "Big to Small - We Feed 'em All"
24 Bennie's crew unloading the heavy sacks.
25 Nature's Best is one of the best brands out there.
26 I'm hoping the hens will be very productive eating these pellets.
27 Chhiring and Gelbu loading up the storage bins
So true!! everything from the ground up! It's good to know where everything starts.. right from the feed to your chickens and so on. I am so gladd you've made such woderful green organic choices with your farm! Thanks again for another tip Martha!! Your great!
http://www.meandmartha.net
Dan
Posted by: Dan Viger | February 24th, 2010 at 1:29 am
You can make even this simple "feed" post enjoyable. We are all immensely curious about how the farm is run and you know what we want. Lol!
Posted by: Marie | February 24th, 2010 at 4:30 am
Remember when Organic foods were way out in left field. Thankfully, healthy eating is now front and center - even for livestock!
Posted by: Lynn from For Love or Funny | February 24th, 2010 at 7:17 am
That's a real great choice. - where we take care of ourself, what and where our meals come from, we also have to take care of the animals we have around us - what to feed them - healthy ingredients make healthy people and animals. perfect martha!
Posted by: Matthias | February 24th, 2010 at 8:37 am
Martha, what a lovely farm you own. I am impressed with the nurturing care you provide. Organic is certainly the route to go. I am curious though--with 200 chickens--what do you do with all the eggs? I can imagine they are simply delicious. Thank you for providing this information.
Esther
Posted by: Ester | February 24th, 2010 at 9:03 am
Hi Ester,
I know that 200 chickens sounds like a lot, however, some are just approaching egg-laying age. Also, their laying cycles slow down at certain times of the year and the daily yield decreases. With that said, we certainly enjoy these delicious eggs on a steady basis. I use them on my television show and I frequently share them with my friends and employees. I love raising chickens and have done so for many years
Posted by: Martha Stewart | February 24th, 2010 at 9:22 am
Hi Martha,
Healthy soil, healthy crops, healthy livestock makes sense to me. Your animals are lucky to have someone who cares - I'm guessing not everyone feeds their livestock organic food. Maybe your blog will make a difference. Trish
Posted by: Trish | February 24th, 2010 at 11:42 am
Martha,
This is so cool. Now that you have been to South Africa you will be able to give us a whole show on how organic farming works in Africa. Oh please, please have Bill Gates on. He is so dedicated to agricultural practices in third world countries. Can't wait!
Posted by: Margie | February 24th, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Martha, You are so lucky to be to find organic feeds. My partner and myself bought an old mansion and farm in southeast Colorado and I can't find a source for organic poultry feed with out a 3 hour drive. I would love to be able to feed all organic and am still looking.
Posted by: david iddles | February 24th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
hi martha, i was so glad to see that you posted about feed. i have been asking so many questions about what to feed my percheron Friesian- he is currently on blue seal senior since he is twenty i would very much like to have it organic. a few weeks ago he colicked do to a change in hay quality- i never knew that was possible and it was extremely heartbreaking to see him go through it but so glad that he is okay. it has left me so cautious about everything and wondered what you fed your horses and their ages?
Posted by: nadia | February 24th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Hi Martha, It sure is easy to see why you purchase that organic Natural Food for all of your fantastic farm animals from Bennies Feed Barn, Inc. Everything they have in that great feed shop certainly helps make all of your farm animals so very healthy. Your photos of the mill and the feed barn are really great and absolutely pristine. I love this tour that you took us on and I wish we had a place like that in our area. How lucky you and your animals are. Your TV show today was so much fun. The pretzels were super. The electronic items were outstanding. How lucky Eliad was to have that special chair. It was really special to see Dr. Marty again, He is one fantastic animal doctor. He has the best attitude about finding special ways to save really ill animals. Kudos to him! Hope all is going well in South Africa. Love, Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | February 24th, 2010 at 8:37 pm
Hi Martha,
Another blizzard in NJ ! Hope your trip to Africa is going well. I really enjoyed the info. on the organic feed, good feed means healthy, happy animals and you are supporting the local economy as well. Love the photos and stories from the farm, every horselovers dream !
Posted by: Bea Trainer | February 25th, 2010 at 10:20 am
Am sure you treat all your animals extremely well - if only this were more the norm globally!
Am in the process of reading "Eating Animals" by Jonathan S. Foer and am now feeling very guilty about being a carnivore! The inhumane and horrific treatment imposed on chickens, cows, pigs, etc is really giving me cause for concern. How fortunate for you to be able to break an egg for one of your many wonderful recipes without feeling guilty about the lifestyle of the mother chicken!
Posted by: michael | February 25th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Great post. It is possible to grow and eat organic. We as the consumer have power. If we buy organic - more and more firms will grow/sell organic products which will make it more cost effective for all of us - and better for the planet.
Thanks for being such a great example for us (as always!) Martha.
Two hundred chickens? I had no idea. How many chickens would you suggest we get as a family? I'd like to mimic your ideas on a smaller scale for a family on a normal budget who can't afford a team of workers (like you can!).
Love the blog!!
Posted by: elle | February 25th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Hi Martha,
enjoy the picks I view them all the time seen the feed picks took me all the way home god bless keeping doing the things you do
Posted by: becky slagle | February 27th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
Martha, I LOVE you, and have admired you for a long time.....sheesh, I sound like a stalker! But my question is..... On which side do you part your hair??? I see that it changes depending on the photo,and it made me curious. Ha! I know it's silly....but you know...... Keep up the good work, watch your show every day. I have to tape it so I can watch it after work. Thank you ma'am.
Pam Q
Posted by: Pam Quackenbush | February 27th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Martha, you should consider a private no-kill shelter as your next endeavor.
Posted by: Sickitten | April 12th, 2010 at 9:32 pm
It's great that you are using organic feed. I remember watching America's Dirtiest Jobs and learning how some farm livestock feed are made from other dead farm animals. Ewwww!!
I'm all for everything natural and organic!
Posted by: Bellisia | February 17th, 2011 at 9:07 pm