The Aisthorpe Group
Established 1994.
Established in 1994, The Aisthorpe Group started out as Roma Stockfeeds, based on the family farm ‘Bon Haven’ located 27km south-west of Roma. Founded by Stephen and Natalie Aisthorpe in partnership with Stephen's parents, Rex and Betty, Roma Stockfeeds original purpose was to diversify the farm and assist the family in fulfilling their future goals. Roma Stockfeeds mixed and delivered grain rations and dry lick supplementation to the local area from this location for eight years.
In 2002, the business relocated to the current site on the Warrego Highway east of Roma and opened as Top Ration. Particularly harsh drought conditions saw the business grow significantly in the first year of production. In 2005, the company rebranded again, to become Top Country, the well-recognised name that it is today.
The original mill at Roma Stockfeeds, built in 1994
In addition to the range of custom dry licks and grain rations offered by Top Country, Stephen also saw the need for high quality feeding systems.
Through Top Country, Stephen developed a wide range of high-quality feeding systems designed to deliver and protect nutritional supplements, whether it be for dairy, beef, horses, sheep, goats and more.
The Top Feeda first hit the market in 2002, and after a redesign in 2004 sales dramatically increased. Since then, the Top Feeda range has expanded and evolved, and this iconic, patented design can now be seen on properties across Australia.
Stephen Aisthorpe (Left) & Customer with the original Top Feeda in 2002
In 2021 the Aisthorpe Group established Smarter Nutrition, a protein and fibre company based in Mannuem, Queensland. Born from necessity, Smarter Nutrition was founded to ensure they had a continual supply of raw ingredients for their stockfeed manufacturing operation, Top Country, during periods of drought and product scarcity.
In addition Smarter Nutrition now also caters for a wide range of customers, from stockfeed manufacturers and individual farmer/graziers, right through to opportunity lot feeders and professional feedlot operations.
Smarter Nutrition’s flagship product, Rumenfibre™, is a fibre pellet specifically formulated for ruminant animals using a combination of fibre sources.
Smarter Nutrition, Dalby
Also in 2021, the Aisthorpe Group also acquired Smarter Rural, an existing rural supplies company in Toowoomba with a focus on cattle fencing. After relocating to Dalby, Smarter Rural is now a full livestock feeding system manufacturer, producing covered cattle, horse, and sheep and goat feeders in various sizes to suit a wide range of feeding operations.
Other products manufactured by Smarter Rural include the Dual Chains fly control system which can be added to and of the feeders or installed standalone to improve the coverage of repellent or chemicals to protects livestock from external parasites.
In 2021, at the request of the Bayview Bush Babies, Smarter Rural was tasked with the development for a Quad Chains oil distribution system to help protect native common wombats from wombat mange.
Top Cattle Feeda with Dual Chains Fly Control Installed
Announced at Beef Week 2021, Smarter Rural was proud to introduce the latest product offering to the feeding systems range by the Aisthorpe Group. The Ration Runner is a large mobile bulk delivery system that allows for producers to distribute licks and rations into their cattle feeders such as the Top Feeda and Top Tonna, from the back of a truck or trailer. It is a cost-effective way of delivering medium to large amounts of supplement products to larger numbers of feed out points. The Ration Runner positively addresses the effective and efficient delivery of bulk supplements, and completely abolishes the need for the manual handling of all bagged products and the environmental impact of those bags. Currently with an 8-tonne capacity, the Ration Runner 8 has been in development and testing for several years. There are several other Ration Runner sizes now in development.
The Ration Runner 8 in use on customer property.
In 2022 the Aisthorpe Group further expanded finalising its acquisition of Soya Feeds, a full-fat soybean meal operation located in Dalby started by soybean industry pioneers, Greg and Margaret Bailey, 35 years ago.
From this facility Smarter Nutrition plans further expansion producing a wide range of protein products including Full Fat Soya Meal, Corn Soy, Wheat Soy, Wheat Meal and Cottonseed Meal as well as establishing a stockfeed mill for specialty rations, a grain-drying facility and a transport depot for all Aisthorpe Group companies.
The Aisthorpe Group have established themselves as industry leaders in livestock nutrition and feeding systems, and through their vision and innovation, will continue to drive the industry into the future.
To be continued.
Stephen Aisthorpe with former Soya Feeds owners Margaret and Greg Bailey.