Rural Heritage October/November 2025

result is that their minerals are more bio-available than synthetic minerals. They do use sea salt plus minimal amounts of synthetic minerals to achieve balanced products. The company also offers liquid products like Knock Out that can deal with livestock and pet problems. The results are products that harmonize with nature, the Natural Way, to the benefit of their customers. Whether you’re looking for a potential racehorse among his Standardbred yearlings or a traffic safe and sound buggy horse, the man to see is Harvey Byler. His farm specializes in high quality, dependable horses at both ends of the equine spectrum. He was instrumental in the founding of the Great Lakes Horse Auction. He is also the Michigan representative for Elite Nutrition Minerals which promotes the best possible horse health. It’s no wonder that Harvey is a well-respected member of the community. John Hershberger owns Quality Structures and took over the company in 2022. With two locations, the business handles treated wood structures out of Evart, Mich., and elite structures out of its Clare location. In addition to managing 15 employees who build portable buildings, John is known for his Standardbred brood mares. He raises high quality foals that he sells at the Mid Ohio Yearling Sale. Steven and Elsie Miller operate a 40-acre produce farm that grows vine and cole crops. They also operate a tomato greenhouse. Their operation relies on part-time help in May through November. They sell their crops through the Clare County Produce Auction. Visitors can enjoy the field crops and the greenhouse at this small but efficient business. No tour would be complete without the noonday Amish meal, and Country Side Dinners aims to please. Though Bill and Mary Yutzy bought the business in October 2020 and opened in January 2021, Country Side Dinners has been satisfying hearty appetites since the 1980s. It’s a family run business, with four daughters helping out and extra help hired for the tour buses. They offer chicken, ham or meatloaf, delicious side dishes and, of course, pie. Country Side Dinners says that you won’t be disappointed.

can do with plenty of hard work and imaginative innovation. North County Metals, owned by Victor Garber, started in 2012 and focused on metal roofing. Since then, it has grown into a one-stop operation for just about anything metal that’s involved in building. Serving local businesses and farms, in 2017 it expanded to offer roll forming, the continuous bending of a long strip of sheet metal into a desired cross section to fit the exact needs of a customer. Visitors got to see this innovative process firsthand. North County Metals shows how high-quality workmanship and striving to meet the needs of its customers can help grow a company. In 2009, David Schlabach Jr. founded Natural Way Minerals. This family-owned company specializes in livestock nutrition and animal health. They offer a full line of products for a wide variety of livestock — horses, cows, sheep and goats, hogs, poultry, deer and camels, as well as pets like dogs and cats. They use minerals from many different mines throughout the Unites States, Canada and Mexico that are not subject to high temperatures or treated with acid like so many synthetic or manipulated minerals. The The Children’s Area was a popular location for many families throughout the event.

October/November 2025

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