Bloomfield Feed - Now Open
Theresa, Mike and Joanne Buis have opened Bloomfield Feed, right next to Buis Beef!
This was an idea that was developed over several years when we saw a growing need to support small scale and hobby farmers. As an innovative farming family with four generations of experience working with livestock, we saw a need for a new service to assist those who are part of a growing trend of backyard and hobby farmers. Urban and small scale farming is not only fun and fulfilling, but also has great potential environmental benefits. We wanted to support that trend, so we assembled a team of knowledgeable and experienced staff to help our neighbours succeed in raising livestock, poultry and pets with healthy, high-quality food.
Since 1949, our family farm has used Purina products because of their dependable quality coupled with the research that goes into its production. With many decades of experience in working on large and small scale operations with equine, beef, sheep and small ruminants and poultry, we have lots of ideas to share!
Stop by our new store and say hello also meet our team who can help you find the best food option for your livestock or pets. We are open Monday to Friday 7:30 am to 7 pm, and Sat 730 to 4. Phone 519-365-0249 or text 226-626-7394 to order. Call 226-626-7394 for after hours emergency service.
This is another exciting chapter in the Buis Family History. From our family to yours, we look forward to seeing you soon!
Mike Buis
From birth to beef: the story of Buis Beef
Like most producers coming out of BSE, Joanne and Mike Buis knew they had to make changes to their feedlot operation. As third-generation farmers, the couple and their families have been raising beef in Chatham-Kent for over 75 years. Over the years, though, the operation has seen significant change.
“To make cow-calf work in this area is a bit of a challenge,” says Mike Buis. “We needed a system that would work as a whole system.
“When we started out we were strictly a feedlot and we’d been a feedlot for quite a few years. When BSE hit, we had to do something to stay in business. It just wasn’t going to work to continue with the feedlot the way we were doing it,” he continues. “We thought if we could at least raise our own calves then we could have the quality calves that we wanted and we could make everything work by ...”
Read MoreGrazing Cover Crops and Benefits for Livestock
Presentation by Mike Buis at the Sustainable Agriculture and Research conference presented by the University of Missouri
Alternative Feed Sources for Cows
Mike Buis, Owner/Manager, Buis Beef
A Traditional feeding program of hay and pasture for the cow herd was not viable on this cash crop and vegetable farmland. Mike has developed an alternative feeding program using some interesting and resourceful feed sources.
Another cover crop bonus – winter grazing
Article by R. PearceCover crops have caught on like wildfire for corn producers in the U.S. and Eastern Canada, mainly because of their benefits for soil health. But some producers have found another bonus — a source of feed for grazing cattle.
Mike Buis has been doing it for about 15 years, seeing the overall benefits in animal health, crop production and soil structure. He’s even travelled to Nebraska, North Dakota and Michigan to share what he’s done o his operation.
“We made it a part of our whole farm structure,” says Buis, who farms about 750 acres in the Chatham-Kent area of Ontario. He has about 300 head of beef cattle, including 225 bred cows that graze crop residues and cover crops. “Those are part of our rotation and provide us with more alternatives to give us more options.”