About Us

Belstra Milling Company produces the highest quality, complete nutritional feeds and vitamin and mineral mixes available. Our world-class feeds built our reputation, but our company was built on service and relationships with local farmers and people, whose passion is taking care of animals. We provide farmers and families with safe and healthy feeds for their animals. From large scale dairies and sow farms to hobby farmers and the family pet, Belstra Milling Co. has a formula that ensures your animal is getting the freshest, highest quality feed available.

Beyond feed production, we also invest the same passion and integrity into raising pigs to help feed the world. As one of Northwest Indiana's largest family and employee owned pig farms, we take immense pride in raising the highest quality, healthy swine breeds and genetics in a safe and humane environment.

More than 60 years of hard work, knowledge, innovation and Faith have allowed us to play a small but important part in feeding the world. Through Belstra Milling Co., Belstra Group Farms, and Heinold® Feeds we have had the opportunity to work with an amazing community of farmers, producers, families and friends. We are blessed to take pride in our work on a daily basis and look forward to continued success, new relationships and our part in such an important community.

Albert “Bud” Belstra founded the Belstra Milling Co., Inc. in 1954 after having purchased the small Pillsbury feed business from his employer, Neil Kaper. Belstra Milling Co. quickly became the primary source for custom livestock and poultry feed in the area. With feed production growing, Bud Belstra expanded the company by purchasing the Bauman Feed Mill and its Purina Chow brands only six years later in 1960. Furthering his vision, and having recognized the need for higher quality and superior custom feeds, the Belstra Milling Company Feed Mill was built in 1967 and began producing the flagship brand “Action Feeds” soon after.

With faith and family at the heart of Belstra’s values, his sons Tim and Max Belstra joined the family business in 1971 and 1973 respectively.

Albert Belstra instilled the importance of integrity, quality, and service while working closely with his sons for nearly fifteen years. These values, and a lot of hard work allowed the boys, Tim and Max, to purchase the company from Bud in 1987.

Tim and Max Belstra continued the vision of their father and led Belstra Milling Co. through further growth and success throughout the 80’s and into the year 2000. Holding true to Belstra’s values, and finding team members that aligned with those, led them to hire Malcolm DeKryger in 1991. Malcolm’s contributions, through the addition of gilt multiplier farms and greater processing capabilities, led Belstra Milling Co. to triple its feed production.

Tim Belstra became the sole owner and President of Belstra Milling Co. after the tragic loss of his brother Max in 2000 and father Bud in 2008. Even through loss, Tim continued to grow the company to 78 full time employees with the inclusion of employee ownership in 2006. As part of the Belstra family, these employees maintain the mission and values of the company. They produce 210,000 tons of the highest quality complete feed and vitamin and mineral mixes each year and process three million bushels of rolled corn.

Malcolm DeKryger became President of Belstra Milling Co. in 2013 while Tim Belstra continues his role in the company as Board Chairman. Malcolm’s leadership has continued to evolve the growth and elevate the already highest quality standards of Belstra feeds and Belstra Group Farms. In 2014, Heinold® Feeds in nearby Kouts, Indiana was purchased by Belstra Milling Co. This adds another component of specialty feeds along with dairy, beef, and small animal formulas to the already stellar lineup of feeds in the Belstra Milling Co. family.

In 2018, Belstra adds the 6th and largest sow farm, Interstate Family Farms (IFF).

In 2020, Belstra Milling Co. entered into an agreement to purchase NatureServe® feeds, a poultry feed brand that is unique in that the feeds contain essential oils. This added brand has an added presence in the retail market and positions well with our other feed brands.

On March 1, 2022, Evolution Show Feeds was officially launched with the first bag being produced as the Goat Formula at the Belstra Milling Company DeMotte plant. With the previous name of Belstra SRB Show Goat-R, Evolution was positioned brand ready and showcases feed winners on social media with a multitude of ring awards. Evolution has gained quite the reputation and serves as the feed of choice for farms all over the United States.