For Tom Kropf, the owner of Eden Feeds, every 40-pound bag stacked was just one more step to building the dream.
“When I look at my journey, like my life story, [I’m] just like ‘little Tommy’s really turned out to be something,’” said Kropf.
Kropf said one of the main reasons new businesses fail is simply because it’s hard.
“At the time, it was just an idea, but I actually was almost ready to give up because starting a business isn’t easy,” Kropf explained.
What started as an idea just 5 years ago, has grown into a million-dollar company and a dream come true.
“I’m kind of like a long-term thinker, always dreaming. Like always be building for the future and for the dream,” Kropf said.
Anna Flies, food & ag development center director, said, “He’s one of those entrepreneurs who has the drive, the perseverance and the vision to really take an idea and see it grow. At the Great Falls Development Alliance (GFDA), we really want to support any entrepreneur of that caliber and capacity, but especially within the agricultural realm and value-added ag.”
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Although it’s a fairly new business, Eden Feeds is sold in stores across the western U.S.
“Eden Feeds has started relatively recently and has had explosive growth. What it's done is it's gotten Montana crops into the mouths of, I think we calculated, 320,000 chickens every week when they produce their 30 tons of feed,” said Flies.
So, what is Tom’s advice to prospective agriculture entrepreneurs?
“Learn to love the muck, that would be my advice right there. You learn to love the muck, you'll do fine, because there's a lot of muck you're going to go through,” explained Kropf.
GFDA partners with businesses, no matter what stage they are in, and offer consulting, financial advising, and numerous other resources.
“I just love the business, and it’s just yeah, I found what I was meant to do,” Kropf added.
Click here to visit the Eden Feeds website.
Click here to see GFDA's resources for starting and growing businesses.
