Seminole Feed : Hometown Feed Mill Celebrates 90 Years of Serving Ocala

by

Cynthia McFarland

Our country boasts one of the world’s largest animal feed industries. Nearly 6,000 manufacturing facilities produce over 284 million tons of feed and pet food annually. The market for U.S. animal feed was projected to hit $83.6 billion by 2024.

When it comes to livestock feed production, over 72 percent of U.S. feed is made for beef cattle, chickens and hogs.

Close to home, here in the Horse Capital of the World®, we’re fortunate to have not one, but two, locally owned and operated feed mills dedicated to producing horse feed.

Photo couresty of Angie Crawford

The oldest of those two companies is Seminole Feed®, which has been woven into the fabric of Ocala for decades and celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2024.

Partners O.C. Branch, Sr., Lee Branan, and Jim Taylor opened the first Seminole retail store in downtown Ocala on April 15, 1934. Situated just off Magnolia Avenue, this original location is where PIP Printing now stands.

That first location started out as a feed, supply and hardware store that also eventually sold fertilizer.

As business increased and the equine industry came to town, Seminole Feed grew under the direction of Branch’s son, O.C. Branch, Jr., and grandson Greg Branch, president of Seminole Feed, a division of Branch Properties, Inc.

“In the 1950s we were approached by horsemen here who were raising Thoroughbreds. They were already getting oats and corn from us and asked us to manufacture feed for them,” says sales and marketing coordinator, Angie Crawford.

The mill didn’t exist in those early years, so feed formulas were prepared in a commercial bread mixer.

“Looking back at our history, it really started with Bonnie Heath Farm. Mr. Heath approached us about making feed in the ‘50s. We got our start in Ocala in 1934, but we really can pinpoint our start when Needles came along.”

Angie Crawford, Seminole Feed Sales and Marketing Coordinator

Needles’ Impact

Needles was born in 1953 at Dickey Stables and purchased by Jack Dudley and Bonnie Heath as a 2-year-old. He made history as the first Florida-bred to win the Kentucky Derby in 1956, running in the orange and blue silks of D&H Stables. He ran second in the Preakness and won the Belmont that year. A multiple graded stakes winner of $600,355, Needles won 11 of his 21 starts. He was 1955 Champion 2-year-old Colt, 1956 Champion 3-year-old Colt and was inducted into the Racing Fall of Fame in 2000.

“My dad bought a cattle farm in Ocala in February 1956 and converted it into Bonnie Heath Farm,” recalls Bonnie Heath II, who still calls Ocala home. At the time, there were only 22 Thoroughbred farms in the whole state and just four of those were in Marion County.

“Dad talked to Mr. Branch and that’s when the farm started feeding Seminole Feed. Every horse on the farm was fed it; the special brand we got was Blue Ribbon 12. Needles was on Seminole Feed from the time he retired off the track in 1957 until he died at age 31 in 1984. We never fed anything else,” says Bonnie, adding that Needles’ entire stallion career was in Ocala at Bonnie Heath Farm.

Bonnie remembers that neighboring Tartan Farms, which began with acreage his father sold to William L. McKnight in 1960, had built a lab on their farm to analyze the feed they used. “They fed Seminole Feed too, and the analysis from their lab always matched what was on the feed bags,” says Bonnie.

Photo couresty of Angie Crawford

With the strong support of local horsemen, Seminole Feed was manufacturing horse feed well before the company started its own feed mill and fertilizer plant in 1968. The business has expanded considerably since then.

Photo couresty of Angie Crawford

Continued Growth

Today, Seminole Feed has three retail locations in Ocala and is sold in 17 states. Nearly 185 feed dealers from far north as Virginia and all the way west to New Mexico carry Seminole Feed, which bears the slogan, “World’s Best Equine Feed.”

“We also export to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Belize and Guyana,” says Angie. “If you cruise on Royal Caribbean and go to their private island for horseback riding, they use our feed as well.”

In the 1960s, the feed mill would have been considered the outskirts of Ocala, but today that location lies within the heart of downtown. The mill corporate office and downtown store are on the same property and cover an entire city block. The company stopped making fertilizer in the early 2000s and focuses totally on feed production.

Every week, 615 tons of feed are manufactured at the downtown mill, which is located right along the railroad tracks. Ingredients such as steamed oats, wheat middlings, alfalfa meal, and soybean meal are shipped in by rail and semi-truck.

Seminole makes 28 different horse feed products for all different stages of life, including a complete low starch line formulated for all ages– from foals to seniors.

There are different starch and fat levels, and the company manufactures about the same amount of pelleted and textured formulas. (Textured means there are some visible grain components in the feed.)

“We also export to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Belize and Guyana. If you cruise on Royal Caribbean and go to their private island for horseback riding, they use our feed as well.”

Angie Crawford, Seminole Feed Sales and Marketing Coordinator

“It’s important to state that Seminole Feed is a medication and ionophore-free facility, producing high-end horse feeds, meaning we inventory only horse feed-approved ingredients,” says David Stephens, vice president of Seminole.

For the record, ionophores are feed additives that fall into a class of antibiotic-like compounds often used in cattle feed but that can be deadly if consumed by horses.

“Currently, we also manufacture two cattle feeds, but they are made from horse feed ingredients, so they aren’t a traditional cattle feed and contain no medication,” says David.

Consistency is important and Seminole Feed has made that a priority. David explains that they use “fixed formulas” when manufacturing their feeds. This means that the recipe and ingredients always stay the same even if prices for those ingredients rise.

Every bag of feed bears the date of manufacture.

Different lines of feed are often popular within certain segments of the equine industry.

“We started out just making Thoroughbred feeds but began diversifying almost 40 years ago. For example, cutting horse people and eventers buy different feeds than the Thoroughbred people, who prefer textured feed,” says Angie. “More and more, the Thoroughbred people prefer low starch formulas, but some still like the traditional feeds with primarily corn, oats, and molasses.

“We were the first company in the U.S. to manufacture a low starch feed starting in 1996. A lot of performance horses are fed more low starch, high fat feeds, which are also helpful for young growing horses,” she adds, noting that many owners opt for the Seminole Wellness® line of low starch, super premium horse feeds. This line uses soy oil and never includes corn.

Photo couresty of Angie Crawford

In addition to the equine feed manufactured in their mill, Seminole Feed carries a wide variety of hay, including alfalfa, timothy, timothy/alfalfa, orchard/alfalfa, as well as forage cubes, pellets, and bagged forage products.

Just as in the original store, shelves are stocked with equine care and farm supply items.

Seminole has maintained a truck fleet for many years and was recognized as 2006 Truck Fleet of the Year by the American Feed Industry Association and Feed Management magazine.

“We have four box trucks for local farm deliveries, and nine tractor trailers that we run to dealers all over the Southeast and as far west as New Mexico,” says David.

All drivers have Class A CDL licenses and go through a stringent training process.

Long History

Stonehedge Farm South, the 600-acre Williston-area farm that has been a perennial industry leader, has a long connection with Seminole Feed. When Gilbert and Marilyn Campbell bought the operation in 1988, it already had a rich history as Waldemar Farm, where 1975 Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure and other champions were bred and raised.

Farm manager Larry King has called the property home for decades, having been raised on Waldemar Farm back when his father, Joe King, managed it.

“My dad always fed Seminole back since he came to Waldemar in 1971, and Stonehedge has fed Seminole ever since the farm started,” says Larry.

“My dad always fed Seminole back since he came to Waldemar in 1971, and Stonehedge has fed Seminole ever since the farm started. The freshness of the feed is a big thing, the service has always been good, and the delivery is very convenient.”

Larry King, Stonehedge Farm South Farm Manager

Ranked among the top Florida producers for over 20 years, Stonehedge Farm South is a three-time Florida Breeder of the Year. Homebred success stories include multiple graded stakes winners such as Marlin, ($2,448,880) and Blazing Sword ($1,184,055), etc.

Since Gilbert’s passing in 2021, the farm’s accomplishments have continued under Marilyn’s ownership.

As good as their horses look and perform, Larry says there’s never been a reason to feed anything other than Seminole all these years. “The freshness of the feed is a big thing, the service has always been good, and the delivery is very convenient,” he notes.

In addition to manufacturing top quality feed, Seminole Feed® actively supports the local horse industry. The company donates both time and financial support to 4-H, FFA and youth programs, therapeutic riding organizations, equine rescues and equine research programs.