About Us – History

SweetPro History

Back in the late 1970s there was a movement in the U.S. which envisioned energy independence, based on every farm having its own alcohol plant. Grain grown for livestock feed would first be fermented for alcohol and then what remained would be fed to livestock.

At a much earlier time, and continuing into the 1940s, many small farmers had steeped barley before feeding it to livestock – “slopping the hogs,” as it was called when feeding pigs.

Fermented Feeds

While both of these practices faded over time due to various influences such as economies of scale, elements relating to the fermented feeds have been embraced and refined by SweetPro Feeds. As an example, early farm scale ethanol plants, which, of necessity, had used low temperature cooking, were unable to distill whole mash. So the liquid portion was screened out separately for distilling. The remaining thick mash still contained significant amounts of alcohol and all the yeast and enzymes used to ferment were never subjected to the high temperatures of distilling.

Many of the dairymen using this feed, found themselves in the awkward position of overflowing their dairy’s bulk tanks because the cows were so much more productive.

The steeped barley of yesteryear was often times germinating and thus releasing a multitude of enzymes needed for initial plant growth. Those enzymes coupled with fermented starches provide powerful support for feed utilization. But in the end, the cumbersome techniques and difficulty with storage and labor took their toll and these approaches faded away.

Same Science, New Mechanics

The science behind these low tech procedures, however, was anything but low tech. Probiotic proliferation was rampant, yeast and their nutralites increased, phytic acid tie-up of minerals was eliminated. In short, the science was exceptional but the mechanics were too limiting.

SweetPro Feeds has managed to overcome the mechanical limitations, seize the science, and indeed take the science to new levels with organic complexed trace minerals and a prebiotic oligosaccharide, plus Beta-glucan to deliver maximum performance potential.

Low temperature cooking is standard, and a blend of cereal grains (wheat, oats, and barley malt) plus flax are used in fermentation. This assures that the most complementary amino acid profile is available to help your animals build muscle. Everything about SweetPro’s ProBiotein processing is geared toward improving nutrient utilization, which in turn helps animal health, performance and feed utilization. All without “breaking the bank.”

Patented Processes

SweetPro started production in 1991 and secured six patents between 1994 and 2004. We patented a new concept in non-molasses, free-choice block supplementation and developed the ProBiotein® process in 2002. SweetPro has taken a leading position in helping to support animal health naturally by maximizing nutrient utilization for better immune response and performance.

There are lots of fermented feeds in the marketplace, but nothing quite like SweetPro’s ProBiotein. Our emphasis is on fermentation as the primary objective, not as a byproduct. Also a blend of complementary nutrients is embraced, instead of reliance on a single “silver bullet.” Our EquiPride and EquiLix horse products are especially satisfying for SweetPro because they do so much for animals that people care so much about.

The impact has been great in horse raising, rodeo competitions and in production livestock. The many stories of remarkable recoveries are very gratifying. We are pleased to be part of the equine and livestock industry and grateful for the wonderful reception our products are getting.

Bob Thornberg
President, SweetPro Feeds


(800) 327 9222 | (701) 549 3450 phone | (701) 549 3440 fax