SHOW LOW — The simple definition of “awesome” is extremely good, or excellent, thus explaining why local entrepreneur David Malmgren changed the name of his Pet Food Warehouse in Shanty Town to Awesome Pet Food Warehouse.
This is where he sells his own brand of Awesome Feed, Super Horse, Chicken, Goat, Pig and Wild Bird food.
Malmgren already had Awesome Hay Sales, but the way this all came about is “awesome.”
Having spent his life in construction in the Valley, Malmgren wanted to leave that life behind. He started searching and, in time, found the perfect place behind North Fork Ranch. But it took him a year after purchasing it to be able to really call the mountain home.
Today it is not just a home, it is a fully functioning farm.
It is said that “necessity is the mother of invention,” and when his wife asked him how he was planning on feeding all of his horses, he wound up negotiating with the Tack Shop at 600 S. White Mountain Road and building a little red building at the end of the property there. He had really wanted to do horse therapy, but he settled on selling hay — not just any hay, either — Timothy Orchard, premium grass hay from Colorado. When that morphed into selling feed, he needed to expand.
He heard about a place to rent off from the Deuce of Clubs and when he went to look at it, he knew he couldn’t afford it. When asked what he could pay, he told the owner he didn’t want to insult him with such a low number, but he also needed six months free rent to rent the place.
Nothing happened that day, but a couple of days later the owner called Malmgren and asked if he was still interested, adding that the place needed a lot of work. Malmgren told him he had been in construction and could do all the work, so with a handshake, some sweat equity and six months free rent, Pet Food Warehouse became a reality.
Malmgren started carrying dog food at his new place, but still kept paying the lease on the little red building at the end of the Tack Shop, keeping his foot in the door. Though he didn’t have enough inventory to fill the new building, he convinced the owner of the Tack Shop to let him sell her food. He did that for a while without any compensation, so that agreement finally came to an end.
But, it wasn’t the end of Pet Food Warehouse because it was meant to be — and meant to be where the little red building still sat.
Spur Feeds was a competitor of Pet Food Warehouse, but when its owner David Chimera made Malmgren an offer he could not refuse, he was on his way to creating his own brand and making Shanty Town come alive with not only the Pet Food Warehouse, but the Tack Shop, Awesome Hay Sales and the Farmer’s Market, selling nutritional foods — farm fresh foods grown locally — hay, tack and Western wear.
Having purchased Spur Feeds, it allowed Malmgren to forge a relationship with its supplier, Oñate Feed Co. LLC , of Albuquerque, N.M. Malmgren took advantage of working closely with one of Oñate’s owners, Dan Shue, whom Malmgren calls “Super Dan.”
Oñate is known for providing the highest quality animal feed tailor made in the Southwest and was established in 1996 by Shue and his partner, Tom Knoop. Super Dan has a master’s degree and more than 30 years experience in nutrition, and Knoop has a degree in animal science with more than 35 years experience in that field.
From his own experience with his Lucky Star Farms, which is organic and natural, Malmgren suggested certain changes in feed for his own animals so they would eat the food. Then, he noted the changes. Super Dan was impressed and between the two of them, and a local nutritionist Susan Henderson, this went back and forth for a while.
As an example, Malmgren suggested they add Fenugreek and Super Dan concurred in that it was a flavor enhancement which also induced digestion and saliva. Then the idea came to add anise, then kelp and diatomaceous earth and no molasses. Super Dan called Malmgren’s experimentation with the food “The Answer Farm.” He said if I can do this and that and figure out the ratio, then the animals give you the answers. And they did.
Born out of that “Answer Farm,” Malmgren is now launching his own brand — healthy and tasty for horses, chickens, goats, pigs and wild birds, thus the brand: Awesome Feed Super Horse, Chicken, Goat, Pig and Wild Bird.
Malmgren said his origin is Swedish — and most are farmers.
Of course, Malmgren is working all the time now, which farmers do, but it is a labor of love. Super Dan told him, “You have built yourself a prison.”
Malmgren proudly replied, “If so, I love being incarcerated.”
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