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I Have Been Working On This For A While

Mine is starting to come in nice.... I've had my fair share of "NAME" brand companies that put enough filler in there product and all it did was piss me off in the long run. Obviously you have to do your homework and prep the land accordingly to get the best results (which I always did) but was never "truly" happy with any until now.....

This is just a "sample".... wait til next year!!!!
This is 2.5 weeks after seed made contact with ground

 
Thing is, he is not the only person selling a quality product. Merit Seed, Whitetail Institute, Biologic, those are all quality products readily available. No offense to Tom, but most of us serious food ploters here are way past buying stuff in a colorful bag even if it is good seed. Guys who buy tractors just to food plot either have more money than they know what to do with, or are serious about their food plots. The first guy will buy the seed in the colorful bag, the second will blend his own. Regardless, the niche is crowded...

That is very true. Biologic is considered superior and good cost even for guys who do buy from CO Ops.

So buckmaster here is a question. If you are supplying seed in your market for the first time buyer, is it worth selling the best quality? I would think not. If in theory they are a first time buyer, and have a small chance or repurchase because they will go to CO-OPs to buy thier own, then maybe this is why you see so many BOB seed companies with cheap options full of fillers, and rye grass?
 
So buckmaster here is a question. If you are supplying seed in your market for the first time buyer, is it worth selling the best quality? I would think not. If in theory they are a first time buyer, and have a small chance or repurchase because they will go to CO-OPs to buy thier own, then maybe this is why you see so many BOB seed companies with cheap options full of fillers, and rye grass?

Me personally? If I was to take a seed mix to the market I would promote it as "high end" and also make it the finest finished quality that money could buy.

Why?
Because I'm small. I would lack capacity.
I don't have a niche area in the market established yet.
I'd be playing in the highest margin area of the market place.
I need to gain a reputation.
"If you build it, they will come."
The keys here would be to offer an excellent product and market it correctly.

Do you remember your four "P"s of Marketing?
 
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In my opinion on Cabelas tractors, if a guy is buying one of them he isnt going to do much research on his seed either. Just pockets of money.

I also do not believe Tom's perspective market will be one time buyers if he is offering 1/4 acre bags. The guy with land, time, and money to do larger plots is probably not looking at 1/4 acre bags unless end of season clearance like Buckmaster. Sure there may be a spot here and there a guy wants a small plot and tries it out. I see the market growing as guys who hunt minimally are doing everything they can to gain an edge. I dont believe they are as intense as most on this forum. Therefore they feel their 30x50 foodplot buck in a bag is going to be the edge for them with their hunting attitude. They watch the shows while you are out scouting, food plotting, or shed hunting. They think the food plot is the golden key. It isnt. It is just another tool in the toolbox of dedication. Might increase the odds but it isnt close to a guarantee.
 
Me personally? If I was to take a seed mix to the market I would promote it as "high end" and also make it the finest finished quality that money could buy.

Why?
Because I'm small. I would lack capacity.
I don't have a niche area in the market established yet.
I'd be playing in the highest margin area of the market place.
I need to gain a reputation.
"If you build it, they will come."
The keys here would be to offer an excellent product and market it correctly.

Do you remember your four "P"s of Marketing?

I agree I would want that approach too, but how do you separate your self from brands that are already fantastic quality and so well known like Mossy Oak biologic and WI? Or is the market large enough, and not over saturated that just grabbing a small part of the market can make you a sustainable income?

I honestly am just enjoying getting you alls opinions on this. Not debating just FYI. Learning!
 
I agree I would want that approach too, but how do you separate your self from brands that are already fantastic quality and so well known like Mossy Oak biologic and WI? Or is the market large enough, and not over saturated that just grabbing a small part of the market can make you a sustainable income?

I honestly am just enjoying getting you alls opinions on this. Not debating just FYI. Learning!

We'll we can examine this using the Four P's approach. It may help Tom out as well as he follows along with our thoughts and ideals.

Product- Highest Quality, Finished Product, No Fillers

Price- Do we achieve the highest margin possible placing ourselves at the highest price point? (We know we probably have limited capacity right out of the box) Or the lowest price to gain quick market share, then raise pricing later?

Place-Where are we selling this product and against whom? Target customers vs. Competition?

Promotion- What type of image do we wish to have amongst common users in our marketplace, whom are our spokespersons and satisfies users, where are the proven results, and what methods do we use to sell our products, CO-OP, WalMart, Internet, Specialty shops, Hunting store, Bait & Tackle, seminars, trade shows, etc.

You'll have to fill in the blanks there Albert of how "Albert's Plot Seed Inc." would work and function.
Each Facet of this would equate to success or failure. It's about risk vs. reward equals income for those that succeed.
 
There are a number of reasons that I have decided to add food plot blends to our product line not just because I wanted TOO. I did not get into this just because I wanted to start a business in the hunting industry. I believed I had some products that would help other hunters after I saw what it did on my own lease that I have had for 25 years. We have pretty good internet sales and do well with the archery shop and feed stores that carry our products but to get this where I believe we can I need to get into the big box stores. To get into the big stores you usually have to have a number of different products. When I started it was just our minerals and a couple of deer attractants. I have added some bear attractants, whitetail attractants, working on getting the food plot mixes ready and a number of other products. There are a lot of companies out there some have good stuff and others have pretty poor stuff but spend a crap load on advertising IMO. I can not spend the $$$ that these bigger companies do so I have to come up with products that I believe are better, advertise smartly, have a good presence on the internet and really I will be honest catch the right break. I would not have invested this much time, effort and cash if I didn't think it would work but I knew like anything else nothing is guaranteed. I will say that one of the biggest names in the hunting industry buys our minerals and attractants and has said it is the best he has used.
 
I also understand that the guys who put in a lot of food plots and are very serious about it like to put there own blends together and buy right from a coop, but there are a lot of guys who buy the smaller bags and don't put in big food plots. These are the customers that we will try to gain. I also think that you can work with some of the bigger DIY food plot guys because they like to test what they use against other products. I have seen this first hand with our minerals and attractants.
 
Buckmaster- I love the idea of using the 4ps! You think that would have come to my mind right off the bat!

Tom I think with you having such a great known mineral is going to be great for you. BTW Ill probably buy some of your blends to give a shot! I got the bug bad, and I love just trying new stuff!

I by no means was trying to offend you just found the market/industry very interesting as a whole!
 
What exactly are you guys referring to when you mention the use of "fillers?"

at, if I'm not mistaken, the majority of the BOB blends that show rye on the seed label (mainly the "throw and grow" blends) are not using rye grass... They are using Winter Rye, AKA rye grain, cereal rye. Cereal rye is not the same as rye grass. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Rye... IMO it's one of the best plot forages available, right up there with oats.

I guess what I'm saying is, what is so wrong with these supposed fillers? If the "filler" is winter rye, I see no reason why it should be left out of a seed blend. It all boils down to the individual application, though. Each area or each property may have different habitat and forage needs. And of course each food plotter has their own personal needs... resources, time, equipment, etc. For a guy who can't get in to a spot with a tiller but still has the ambition to provide his deer with a quality forage, what better seed to plant than a "filler" like winter rye?
 
Appreciate your candid answer. Sounds like you have two options. 1) Get big, get into the box stores, and take it to the next level. 2) Get big "enough". Then let one of the larger companies buy you out just to take your name off the market. Either option it is a win. lol
 
Jagermeister I have no problem with Rye in fact it is in one of our blends that we are working with. When we are talking filler we are talking about non seed. Look at some of the big name brands and you will see some are only 75-80% seed and the rest is filler.
 
What exactly are you guys referring to when you mention the use of "fillers?"

at, if I'm not mistaken, the majority of the BOB blends that show rye on the seed label (mainly the "throw and grow" blends) are not using rye grass... They are using Winter Rye, AKA rye grain, cereal rye. Cereal rye is not the same as rye grass. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Rye... IMO it's one of the best plot forages available, right up there with oats.

I guess what I'm saying is, what is so wrong with these supposed fillers? If the "filler" is winter rye, I see no reason why it should be left out of a seed blend. It all boils down to the individual application, though. Each area or each property may have different habitat and forage needs. And of course each food plotter has their own personal needs... resources, time, equipment, etc. For a guy who can't get in to a spot with a tiller but still has the ambition to provide his deer with a quality forage, what better seed to plant than a "filler" like winter rye?

I was under the impression it was not rye grain or winter rye but it was rye grass. I will need to look into this more. I know products like Heartland are winter rye, but I thought the throw and grows were rye grass.

Grains= Great IMO
Grass= Waste IMO
 
If you look on one it says 34% inert matter on some. I agree for the most part if you are using rye you want it to be grain. There are some new super sweet rye grasses out though which give some options. We are working with a blend that will have 3 super sweet rye grasses and a few other things as well. It grows well in sandy soil but I haven't made up my mind for sure when and if I will bring this out.
 
If you look on one it says 34% inert matter on some. I agree for the most part if you are using rye you want it to be grain. There are some new super sweet rye grasses out though which give some options. We are working with a blend that will have 3 super sweet rye grasses and a few other things as well. It grows well in sandy soil but I haven't made up my mind for sure when and if I will bring this out.

I could see that being a good trail mix, for guys who like to plan trails to and from plots. Some sweet ryegrass, and clovers. Should be cheap too.

I am excited. I am going to try your mineral this coming spring so if its out by then, Ill probably try a bag. Why Not! Good luck buddy!
 
I just checked and throw and grow is ryegrass.

I stand corrected. But it's "extra palatable super sweet" ryegrass! lol Hey, either way, I don't see it as waste if it draws in the deer. The inert matter filler is waste I guess, but it's all relative to what you're paying per pound.
 
I stand corrected. But it's "extra palatable super sweet" ryegrass! lol Hey, either way, I don't see it as waste if it draws in the deer. The inert matter filler is waste I guess, but it's all relative to what you're paying per pound.

If I remember correctly werent you doing the rotation that is very common the QDMA forums? From Lickcreek? So we dont steal this thread (more than we have)PM and let me know how thats going for you.
 
I stand corrected. But it's "extra palatable super sweet" ryegrass! lol Hey, either way, I don't see it as waste if it draws in the deer. The inert matter filler is waste I guess, but it's all relative to what you're paying per pound.

No different than the different percentages of glyphosphate in "concentrates". Sure, one is cheaper. It has LESS glyphosphate in it. lol More filler probably does equal lower price.