By Eric Jenks, Special to NEAFA
Lawes Agricultural Service Inc. (LAS), in Brandon, VT, has served the fertilizer and seed needs of the Northeast area since 1986, though its roots are older than that. “The business was originally Old Fox Chemical and then Old Fox Inc. when I started working there in 1981,” said Brad Lawes, owner of LAS. “My brother Dean and I took over the business in 1986. The nice thing about selling fertilizer is that I’m still doing business with a high percentage of the same farms. It may be a different generation you know, because a lot of times I’m working with their kids, grandkids, etc., but we still do business with a high percentage of the same farms. They’ve gotten larger, but they’re all honest and fun to work with. Being born and brought up on a dairy farm in the Northeast Kingdom, it’s a natural relationship for me.”
For LAS, dairy farms are a large portion of their clientele, though their organic business is growing. “About 90 to 95% of our business is dairy related. But in the past ten years we’ve developed a substantial organic market, usually for small scale, roadside mom and pop vegetable operations. We deliver organic materials through VT, NY, MA, NH. Organic fertilizer is typically more expensive, but there’s more margin to it, and we don’t have that excessive margin on our products, which people appreciate. The other aspect of our business is our turf and forage seed business. The organic and the turf businesses actually tie together nicely, as we carry them on the same truck, and can make 2-3 stops instead of just one, which is good for efficiency.”
LAS produces both dry and liquid fertilizers. “We blend components together,” said Lawes. “There’s no chemical reaction taking place, no heat, pressure, etc. We then deliver to the farms, and we also offer dry and liquid applications, which is primarily used on corn fields for silage, some soybeans, and also pasture renovations for horse farms.”
While Lawes’ brother Dean Lawes retired recently, the business is very much still family oriented. “My son Nick works with me here doing sales and as an applicator,” said Lawes. “In this business, one person isn’t dedicated to one job. Everyone does what needs to be done. You might be on a spray rig today, or on the road selling or servicing or standing behind the bagger for fertilizer. You have to know how to do a little bit of everything.”
Besides expecting growth in the organic market to continue, Lawes sees promise in his seed business. “We’ve had a good run for the last three to four years with our turf seed,” said Lawes. “I think the seed business, primarily turf, is a good market. We’ve been selling to hardware stores throughout VT and even in Syracuse, NY. There’s some competition, but I think that the market has changed, and there’s some potential for growth right there.”