At its core, Laird Feed is about more than livestock nutrition — it’s about people, relationships, and doing right by the operations they serve.

Locally owned and operated, Laird Feed is a full-service feed dealer offering a wide range of products, including livestock mineral, supplements, lick tubs, distillers products, and pet foods. The team also provides custom mixing and delivery of high-quality bulk feed rations, serving livestock producers across central Nebraska.

Owners Erin and Jake both come from livestock backgrounds, which makes their work feel less like a job and more like a natural fit. Erin has always enjoyed working with livestock and helping customers find solutions that work for their operations. Jake, by his own admission, “likes to talk — a lot,” making sales and customer relationships a logical role. Together, they’ve built a business centered on conversation, trust, and long-term partnerships.

What many customers may not realize is that Laird Feed doesn’t just sell feed — they use it, too. Erin and Jake operate their own cow/calf operation, and many of the recommendations they make are products they’ve already tested on their own ranch. That firsthand experience brings a level of confidence and credibility that customers appreciate.

The business has come a long way since its early days. Originally, Pat started selling salt and mineral out of his farm shop to local producers. Today, Laird Feed still offers those staples, but with significantly expanded capabilities — including a fleet of trucks and updated infrastructure designed to handle larger orders and increased volume through the mix system. This growth allows the team to serve a sizable footprint across central Nebraska while keeping service personal and reliable.

A typical day at Laird Feed is best described as organized chaos. Cody manages day-to-day mixing and bulk feed deliveries, along with plant inventory and scheduling. Sierra keeps the front office running smoothly, tracks warehouse inventory, and helps load product. Leighton handles large-load mixing and delivery and makes trips back East to pick up products for the mix plant. Erin oversees ordering, logistics, and all the office work Jake would rather avoid. Jake keeps the coffee flowing, handles most customer billing, jumps in wherever needed, and tackles what he loosely calls “general manager activities.” Everyone is involved in sales, and no one hesitates to help load customers when needed.

In addition to feed and nutrition products, Laird Feed now also stocks grill pellets, dart gun supplies, and Ranch Fuel energy drinks — offerings some customers may not expect, but have quickly become popular additions.

What Erin and Jake value most about being part of this community is simple: the people. From working with multiple generations on the same operation to running into customers who’ve become friends at a Friday night ball game or over lunch at Runza, the relationships make the work meaningful.

One lesson they’ve learned along the way sums up their approach to business perfectly: people don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.

And when it comes to shopping local, Laird Feed believes the impact is real. Dollars spent locally tend to stay local — strengthening the economy and supporting the community they’re proud to call home.