FARM BUSINESS PROFILE: En-Tice-Ment Farm Raised Meats & Stables

September 13, 2017

Deana Tice, along with her husband, niece and brother-in-law, runs two businesses in Harwood, Maryland: En-tice-ment Stables and En-tice-ment Farm Raised Meats. She leases close to 300 acres from Obligation Farm for her equestrian education center and uses 80 acres of the family farm to raise her animals. She also employs 2 full-time and 12 part-time employees who work at both establishments.

Q1: Tell me a little bit about your businesses and the history of its establishment.

I’ve been doing this since I was 12 years old. I received my first pony at my mother’s baby shower. My mother was a horse trainer, and my father was a blacksmith. My grandfather was also in the horse business. I’d always done equestrian training part-time on my family farm and worked for a Southern States store, but once the land at Obligation Farm became available about 15 years ago, I started doing this full-time.

Q2: Tell me more about En-tice-ment Stables.

We board around 70 horses at the stables and teach riding lessons seven days a week. Anytime schools are closed we have a camp. Participants learn everything about horsemanship from riding to cleaning the stalls. We want to teach full horsemanship and don’t want people to think they can just show up and ride. It’s work too.

There are many equestrian centers here in Anne Arundel County and we are tight-knit group. Within the equestrian sport, you have different disciplines, so we all get to know who is an expert in certain disciplines. We are “hunters and jumpers”.

Q3: Walk us through a day on the farm and the stables?

My husband and I sit down on Sunday nights and map out what needs to be done in both businesses for the week. My niece Brittany and I meet on Monday to figure out what needs to be done at the stables. It takes a lot of planning and meetings.

I’m not an early riser. I get my kids on the bus and then start feeding the animals on the farm; then I head over to the stables. When my kids get home, we do the chores on the farm together.

Q4: Tell me more about En-tice-ment Farm Raised Meats.

Our meat is considered natural. We don’t use any hormones, steroids or antibiotics.

We currently have 6 steers, 20 hogs, 35 lambs, and 150 chickens. If you have a hot summer, the animals won’t gain as much weight. Chickens are the hardest to take care of because of the temperature. They can get sick and overheated easily, so we really have to monitor their temperature, move them around, and put fans on them.

Q5: What advice would you give someone who wants to pursue this career?

I see a lot of people who want to get into the equestrian business because they love the horses and love to ride. But when I go out there to hire someone to clean the stalls, it’s hard to find someone who wants to do that end of it. So in my business you have to be ready to do both jobs—you don’t just get the gravy.

When my girls come to me and say, “I’m going to study equestrian”, I say “no, go become a doctor or a lawyer and make money so you can pay people like me to do it for you.” I see it all the time. People buy their own farm, set up their horses but then they never have time to ride and enjoy the horses because they are too busy doing the work to take care of them. I’m the minority because I enjoy taking care of the animals more so than riding.

It’s also important to stay on top of the equestrian industry. Two weeks ago, we went to a clinic by Bernie Traurig who is one of the top riders in the country. He competed at the Olympic level and trained the Olympic team. He put on a trainer’s clinic in Berlin, Maryland, and Brittany got to ride under him. Just like anybody in any job, you’ve got to continue to get better to keep the education going.

Q6: Where do you sell your meats?

I sell my meats at the Riva and Westfield farmers’ markets and also go down to the Deale farmers’ market one day a week. I enjoy talking to people at the markets. Some know what they want and some don’t. A lot of times, it’s about educating them and letting them know how we are raising our animals and why it’s healthier for them.

We also offer “farm store” hours on Wednesday and Sunday evenings from 5-7 p.m. During this time people can purchase our meats and see the animals on the family farm.

Q7: How has AAEDC helped you with your business?

I’ve had a lot of help from Lisa Barge, AAEDC’s agricultural marketing manager, in setting up my new meat business. She helped me obtain my on farm food processing license, which allowed me to sell custom cuts of meat off the farm. We also acquired a mobile market license to sell at the farmers markets. Lisa was instrumental in our search for farmers markets.

En-tice-ment Stables is a licensed stable through the Maryland Horse Industry Board, which is a part of the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

In the future, they want to certify stables to become an “experience center” so if someone expresses interest and wants to ride or have an experience with a horse, the Department of Agriculture can refer them to an “experience center”. I’m excited that we are going to get in on the beginning stages of that.

Q8: What organizations are you actively involved?

I’m involved with the Maryland Horse Industry Board, the Southern Maryland Meats Program, and a leader of the Harwood 4-H Club.

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