Beiler’s Heritage Acres finds more than financial support in their quest to modernize milk production.
“Dairy farming isn’t what it used to be 20-30 years ago. I had to pivot my operations and produce value-added products to create additional revenue streams. My goal was to expand from wholesale production into value-added dairy processing,” said Omar Beiler, owner of Beiler’s Heritage Acres. “The team at Steward helped me every step, to build my farm into one that can sustain myself, future generations, and neighbors as well. With what they helped me build and through their connections, I was able to get Roam Dairy Whole Milk into stores in less than a year. We are now carried in Eddie’s Grocery throughout the Baltimore area, and I have plans for further expansion.”
Beiler first came to Steward in 2018 for capital to purchase equipment needed to pasteurize raw milk and cream into milk, butter, cream, and other dairy products. The loan also funded the purchase of a bottling system and bottle washer. Then in 2021, he lost his largest customer, a local gelato brand, and needed to quickly come up with a solution to make the farm profitable again. The answer was to transition from selling wholesale to the cheese and ice cream market to higher-margin Grade A milk production, easier said than done. Steward not only lent him additional funds, but set in motion its team of experts, including James Beard Award-winning chef Spike Gjerde and former farmer Ryan Anderson, to help him navigate the complexities of the US food system and its many hurdles. This included getting new equipment shipped over from Europe, through customs, and delivered to the farm.
Adding fluid milk processing to his dairy farm operation helped Beiler reach new markets for his milk. COVID has brought about the need and interest to support local, regional-scale production in the wake of supply chain issues. Steward helped with business planning, sales, and marketing activities to make the transition a success. This included material sourcing, regulatory approval, packaging, and branding, as well as connecting him to new buyers in the Baltimore area.
“I’ve been purchasing Omar’s high quality agricultural products for more than 10 years, said Spike Gjerde of Baltimore’s Woodberry Kitchen. That he was able to finance this crucial addition to his farm through one of the most innovative digital platforms is only one compelling aspect of this story. But I am certain that without Steward’s involvement, we’d have one less herd of pastured dairy cows in our region.”
“We at Steward appreciate and welcome the opportunity to assist farmers such as Omar Beiler. Our whole team stepped in to help and make Omar’s dream a reality; that is something we at Steward strive to do every day. We seek to support regenerative farms to whatever extent we can be of service,” said Daniel Miller, CEO, and founder of Steward.
Customers can find Beiler’s Whole Milk at Eddie’s in Baltimore and soon at other fine grocery stores across the Mid-Atlantic. Learn more on Roam Dairy’s website at roamdairy.com
Founded in 2017, Steward is transforming agriculture by equipping human-scale, regenerative farms with the capital they need to grow. By providing access to flexible financing and expert support services, Steward partners with agricultural businesses to scale their operations, improve the health of their lands, and bolster local food systems. To date, Steward has provided over $8M in farm loans to fund 60 unique agricultural projects, backed by more than 1,200 participating lenders. Recently it closed on $8.8M in a Series A investment round to expand growth. Steward is proud to be a Certified B Corp. Learn more, seek capital, or lend support at gosteward.com
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