Treating all customers the same has also proved to be
a key marketing strategy. When production is low, eggs
are rationed to each store rather than stopping supplies to
a particular outlet altogether.
“That way every customer is treated fairly,” Dustin
says. “If you have shelf space in an outlet, you don’t want
to lose that.”
Shrewd businessmen, Dustin and Austin have the
operation divided into three divisions. The production
component includes egg and milo production while
the processing entity focuses on the washing, grading,
sorting and packaging of the eggs. Distribution features
the sales and marketing as well as transportation of the
eggs to each outlet.
“We like to control the operation inputs as much
as possible,” Dustin says. Growing milo and soybeans
help them control costs early on in the production cycle.
“We try to control the margins along each stream of the
business. You don’t have to market at a high price to have
a good margin.”
Dustin admits they could have drastically raised
their egg prices this year especially because of the avian flu
outbreak. However, they chose to stay focused on margin
and building long-time rapport with their customers.
“Customers want our eggs because of the flavor,”
Andrew adds. “It’s about customer loyalty.”
not your grandma’s chicken
With 500-dozen eggs bound for daily distribution,
picking eggs alone is a full-time job.
According to Dustin, the chickens need about 14
hours of light each day to produce and 70 degrees is ideal
for laying. Production decreases when daylight is short.
The chickens found on the Stanton farm aren’t
traditional Rhode Island Reds like grandma used to
have. They are special chickens bred to be habitual with
even temperament and good feed conversion. Hyline is
one particular hybrid breed found at the Stantons.
When birds are purchased and brought to the farm,
Andrew says they are unloaded in a building. The birds
can run everywhere during the day, but when it starts
to get dark, they flock back to their home base in the
building. Designated nests are found throughout the
farm, both inside and outside the buildings, and eggs are
gathered daily.
While Dustin graduated in December 2014 from
MU with a degree in agricultural business, Austin is in
his first semester there. And, managing school with the
farm business is often daunting.
Yet, each member of the family pitching in where
needed helps the operation stay on track.
Austin does much of the feeding while Dustin
handles the book work and accounting. Andrew sorts
and boxes the eggs with Judy taking care of deliveries.
All pitch in to get the eggs picked, which can take a solid
eight hours when the birds are at peak production. Three
part ][YH