About Us
Quality Feeds LLC is an owner-operated animal feed pellet company located in the fertile Arkansas River Valley of southeast Colorado. We take pride in growing our own product on our surrounding 5,000 acres of irrigated land, and conveniently have access to an additional supply of established alfalfa presently grown within a 75 mile radius of the mill.
The southeast Colorado region is known for its moderate weather conditions with an average of 300 days of sunshine per year, making for perfect conditions to sun dry, or cure, our raw product. Our alfalfa is sun cured by using the sun to naturally dry the hay in the field before it is baled and moved to the mill and then made into pellets. This natural method of drying the alfalfa protects the valuable nutrient content.
Our Mill
The pellet mill has been in continuous operation for over 50 years in its original location and has gone through several upgrades and modernizations which have increased the efficiency and output of the mill. Presently, pellet production is 75 tons per day, or 3,000 fifty-pound bags per day, with an annual production of 20,000 tons, or approximately 800,000 bags per year.
Meet the Team
Ron Peterson
Founder + Co-Owner
As founder and co-owner of Quality Feeds LLC, Ron Peterson brings a wealth of experience and leadership to the daily operations, as well as his entrepreneurial drive that he uses constantly to create a future vision for the company. With more than 30 years of being a business owner, Ron has successfully created businesses in mining sand and gravel, trucking, farming, and now the alfalfa pellet business. For Ron, farming just happens to be in his DNA as his grandfather, father, and now his son, have all been farmers, and all in the same fertile area of southeast Colorado. He thrives on developing new and better ways to be more productive and accepts the challenges that come with change. Currently, he is leading the company to produce high-quality organic products for animal consumption by converting acreage from traditional methods to clean, organic raw material for pellets. As he taps into future trends and demands, you can be sure that you will find him leading the pack, both in the field and at the production mill.
Ron enjoys (almost) nightly drives on the farm with his wife of over 40 years, Lori, and time spent with his kids and 5 grandkids. He has been a very active supporter of his community by serving on several water boards, the Lamar RE-2 School Board as president, and by supporting local charities, including Lamar Hospice and Share the Spirit.
Darrel Roth
Owner
Darrell has been involved with agriculture his whole life. As a high school and college student, he began his career employed by Western Alfalfa and quickly attained the experience and knowledge needed to become successful in the alfalfa business. In 1981, he bought his first W.H.O. tub grinder and for 14 years he ran his own business buying, processing, and marketing hay that was sold to feedlots. As he expanded, he was a partner in purchasing a 2,500 acre irrigated alfalfa farm east of Lamar where they raised high-quality alfalfa for numerous dairies and feedlots in Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
In addition to Quality Feeds, LLC, Darrell is a partner in a chopped alfalfa hay business, buying and selling alfalfa to cattle feeding operations. He is also a partner in Premium Pellets LLC and serves as the facility manager. He is proud of his commitment to producing quality alfalfa pellets for a variety of livestock and animal needs, along with the trust and service that is provided to build customer relationships.
Darrel is married to Anita and has two daughters and grandchildren.
Quality Feeds products are manufactured by Premium Pellets.