A few years ago, Michael and Anne LaBelle made some life-changing decisions. Realizing that the construction industry was declining, and anticipating the coming housing bust, they closed their construction business in Dallas and devoted themselves to a new business fueled by passion for growing nutritious and delicious food. Michael, a native of Meridian, MS, wanted to get out of the big D and return to the fresh air and fertile ground of home. His happiest childhood memories are of long, summer days tending the crops and cattle with his Paw on the family farm north of Meridian.
Finding Fruitdale – In fall of 2008, the LaBelles left Dallas, formed MightyGrow, Inc., and began seeking investors to fund a company that would convert chicken litter (an abundant bi-product of the local poultry industry) to an organic fertilizer that could be used by certified organic growers. In late 2009, Michael met Mitchell Coaker of Fruitdale. Mitchell brokers large quantities of poultry litter, and had been thinking for some time that it would be good to somehow make chicken litter more easy to handle and less offensive to neighbors. Once Michael and Mitchell got together, things just started to fall into place…..
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