VALDOSTA — Standlee Premium Western Forage produces feed and bedding for horses, dogs, fish and other animals, and one of its distribution centers is located in the Valdosta area.

Standlee is located in Eden, Idaho, and was formed in 1981 and has been family operated for three generations, Distribution Center Manager John Suddarth said. The Valdosta distribution center opened in 2011.

The company has three distribution centers and its farm. The distribution centers are in Valdosta, and cities in Maryland and Kentucky respectively.

The distribution centers are designed to cover specific regions of the East Coast, Suddarth said. The Valdosta distribution center covers part of the southeastern United States and the Caribbean Islands. The farm in Idaho covers out to the West Coast.

The company farms more than 30,000 acres of land for alfalfa and timothy orchard grasses, he said. The farmland is in a high plains desert where there is little rain. The amount of water the plants receive dictates different nutrients in the plants. Standlee uses the lack of rain to have more control over the crops by irrigating the crops via the Snake River in Idaho.

The lack of rain also makes it easier for the crops to be harvested at the correct times, Suddarth said. The optimal time for the crops to be harvested is after the morning dew has lifted. Because there is little chance of rain, the harvesting time is rarely affected by weather.

Having direct control of the amount of water prevents molding or leaf shatter in crops, he said. Leaf shatter happens when a crop is too dry and becomes fragile.

Since all of the product is farmed in Idaho, the product is shipped to the other distribution centers by rail car and truck, Suddarth said. Once it is here, the employees unload it until it is distributed to Tractor Supply stores, farm and ranch stores and to individual farmers.

The company also offers a delivery and storage service where trailers of product can be delivered, he said. The trailers can be left at the store ordering the product and used for extra storage if there is not enough floor room. Standlee then picks up the old trailer to take back to the distribution center. The system is similar to a propane tank or water jug service where the old tanks and jugs are picked up and dropped off at the same time, but with trailers instead.

While the product is at the distribution center, employees sort arriving items, he said. They determine the difference by the smell, taste and look of the product that comes into the the distribution center. Once the product is organized, it is distributed in the order of first in, first out.

To make the best use of rail cars, Standlee sends cotton seeds to Idaho to be distributed, Suddarth said. Standlee does not reap, grow or own the cotton seeds; it only transports the seeds.

The Valdosta distribution center is also a four-star dealer and carries the company’s full product line.

The bulk of the food comes in two forms: bailed and processed pellets and cubes.

The bailed product is a more traditional food source for the horses and can provide a constant source of food for the horses, Suddarth said. It is also a more natural way for the horse to feed. Horses are meant to graze throughout the day, not eat three separate meals.

“It’s the way they are made,” Suddarth said.

The processed food provides the same nutritional value as the bailed hay, can be measured easily and is more consistent if a horse owner is trying to feed specific nutrients to a horse, Suddarth said.

Standlee also sells sugar beat pulps, he said. The beats are taken to a factory and beat sugar is extracted from them, and the byproduct, a fiery pulp, is used. The pulp is shredded or put into pellets

It also offers pine shavings in three different sizes, the Nutrena animal feed product line and flock fresh and horse fresh.

The flock fresh and horse fresh product lines were introduced last year, Suddarth said. The flock fresh is chicken bedding and horse fresh is a bedding enhancer. Both products use volcanic ash that reduces odors and helps the bedding last longer.

Standlee is located at 700 Gil Harbin Industrial Boulevard and is open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

More information: Visit hstandleeforage.com or call (229) 244-5695.

Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1256.