Location: Sheldon, Mo.
Owners: The Mike and Megan Byram family
History: What started as a way to get quality show pig feed became much more for the Byram family.
“Our daughter, Kaleigh, started the business,” Megan explained. “She was a sophomore in high school, and it was her SAE project in FFA. Kaleigh was competitive with show pigs, and we had trouble finding high-quality feed around here, so she started handling Sunglo feeds, so we didn’t have to travel to pick up feed.”
Kaleigh is now a senior at Oklahoma State University, and has aged out of junior livestock shows, but Byram Feed continues to grow.
“When she left for college, we kept it going,” Megan said.
The Byrams also have two other children: daughter Brittany, a Missouri State University graduate, and son Kasen, a firefighter in Nevada. Kasen helps out on the farm and at the store.
Products and Services: As the business grew, so did the products offered.
“We have a friend from Illinois who introduced us to Early Bird Nutrition,” Mike said. “They are wholesale manufacturers of different types of feed, and Sunglo happens to be one of them. We have gone from just handling Sunglo swine feed to handling Linder swine feed, Primo swine feed, Umbarger Feeds, and Essential Feeds.”
“We handle show feeds for sheep, goats and swine,” Megan added. “We also have supplements and skin care products as well. We have a lot going on.”
Thanks to continued growth, the Byram family has added to their building on the farm.
“When we started, we did almost 2 tons a month (in sales); now we do 4 to 8 tons a week,” Mike said. “It just keeps growing. I just got a call I’ve never spoken to, and they are coming to get lamb and goat feed. We are getting several new customers this year.
“What started as a part-time business has become a full-time job. We have a high school boy who helps, but I row crops and run cattle full time, and Megan is an RN, so it’s full circle.”
Most of Byram Feed’s customers are in the Southwest Missouri area and Southeast Kansas, and as the show season picks up, so does the demand for show feeds.
“We do have some cattle customers who feed all year around, and we have those few exhibitors who show competitively all year around, but this is a really busy time of the year,” Megan said.
The Byrams are currently working to become a Sullivan Supply dealership.
“We would like to handle those products so when people are coming by and getting ready to jackpot or whatever, they can grab those things while they are here,” Megan said. “We want to have more options for the customers.”
