By Jenn Watt

New business provides food for pets farm animals and wildlife offers animal adoptions

They have food for animals big and small from cats to deer dogs to goats. And what they don’t have they’ll find says Phil Primavera owner of Haliburton Feed and Seed a new business on Mallard Road in the Industrial Park area of Haliburton.

Primavera launched his business Nov. 1 about a month after the previous feed company closed up shop.

“Right now we’re setting out feelers of what people want. We’re buying high quality good food as much of it as we can from Canadian sources and as much of it as we can GMO free. … But if there’s a product that somebody really wants and we don’t have we will search it down for them” he said.

For example hunters were looking for 20 bags of a specific brand of dog food they could no longer find locally and Primavera said he was able to bring some in.

“We have a lot of those animals ourselves too so we know what they like and what most people are feeding them” he said referencing The Wild Life a farm he and his wife Minna own in Eagle Lake.

Haliburton Feed and Seed also offers its own bird seed blend straw supplements and biochar.

Biochar is a charcoal-like substance that is the result of plants and forestry waste being burned. It’s frequently used as a soil amendment and is lauded for its ability to store carbon. Primavera pointed to articles in The Biochar Journal that indicate feed-grade biochar can bring health improvements for some animals and enhance manure quality.

At their farm the biochar is used to reduce the smell in the animals’ stalls and feed-grade biochar has led to better digestion for their horses among other advantages Primavera said.

He is also selling something called “Black Magic” which is biochar that can be sprinkled on the ground to improve traction but is safe for animals’ feet and won’t hurt the lawn. He said it’s about a third of the weight of sand.

Animal lovers will also be pleased to know that Primavera is taking in animals to adopt out filling a need that was left when the previous feed company closed. There will be crates on location with pets up for adoption and larger animals will be in a special quarantine area at the farm.

Haliburton Feed and Seed will use fees gathered from animal adoptions first to pay the bills incurred in the animals’ care and then donate to the Haliburton Pet Owners Assistance Fund. The fund assists those who are unable to pay for medically necessary procedures for their pets due to financial hardship.

Haliburton Feed and Seed is located at 138 Mallard Road in Haliburton 705-306-9563 or www.facebook.com/Haliburtonfeedandseed .