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Equipment
When I moved back to the family farm in Iowa I purchased 700 Western ewes and imported British sheep handling equipment & portable electric fences. (We had discovered that "made in the USA" versions were not available at that time.)
The equipment was not intended as a basis for a business--but that's exactly what occurred. It attracted so much interest that we promoted their availability. And so Premier was "born".
But it was more than 10 years before we mailed out an annual catalog. We've grown since then--employing 40 people and mailing 2 large booklet/catalogs (fences in the spring and this one each fall) to US sheep and meat goat producers.
Our catalogs are unique for their extensive instructive photos and explanations. We use this approach because: 1. They are a "product" of our farms. 2. They're an extension of who we are.
We've found that customers value the fact that Premier, unlike most other sources, relies upon our farms to sort the good products from the not so good; to pinpoint changes needed in existing products; to identify new product ideas.
They also value that Premier is "honest to a fault" about the characteristics of the products we offer. This often frustrates those who make products for us!
Operating our farms enables Premier to keep its mental "feet" firmly planted in the ongoing concerns of land and livestock. Our current sheep flock is Border Leicester plus a little Suffolk, Dorper, Ile De France and Romanov. We currently lamb them inside in March/April just as grass growth begins.
Also on the 150 acre home farm are a small Boer goat herd, beef cows, horses and 3 livestock guard dogs. Recently we acquired a second 160 acre farm that's been in CRP for 20 years. We'll use it to experiment with easy-care hair ewes that will (we hope) lamb outside on their own. If it works as experts indicate we'll gradually expand to over 400 ewes.
Stan Potratz
