Farm Owner Takes a Stand for Moms in National Competition

May 26, 2010 - PRLog -- Hempstead, TX – Texas may not be a battleground state in this year’s election, but for Crazy K Farm Pet and Poultry Products owner Tobi Kosanke, the competition for votes means everything.  Kosanke has entered the StartupNation Leading Moms in Business 2010 Competition, and she is looking for support.

For the second year, StartupNation will be ranking the top 200 mom-run businesses in America.  The 200 winners will be determined by a combination of popular vote, and the special recognition of StartupNation judges for select outstanding contestants.  All entrants must be a majority owner mom.

Kosanke’s road to business ownership is one she never intended to take.  An oil patch geologist with a PhD, Kosanke was well into her career with a well-known oil company when motherhood threw a curve ball; she was blessed with a special-needs daughter.

“I loved my career as a petroleum industry geologist and my former supervisors had always been very accommodating when it came to my taking care of my daughter.  They allowed me to work a flexible, telecommuting-based work schedule, “Kosanke said.  “Then a new manager, who did not believe in telecommuting, forced me to make a decision; care for my daughter at home or return to the office full time.  It was a no-brainer.”

Once the primary family wage earner, Kosanke was quickly faced with financial difficulties.  She also owns a farm with 200 animals – nearly all of them are rescues.  “Over the years my main hobby had been creating products to improve the quality of their lives,” Kosanke said.  “When covering the food and medical bills for our animals while staying home to care for my daughter became impossible, I was inspired to form Crazy K Farm Pet and Poultry Products, LLC to manufacture and market my unique, patent-pending inventions.”

Kosanke made her mark last year as an outstanding national startup business owner.  Crazy K Farm (http://www.crazykfarm.com) is a double Top Ten winner from StartupNation’s 2009 Home-Based 100 competition.  She earned accolades in the “Recession Busters” and “Highest Vote-Getters” categories.  Kosanke is now determined to show moms facing similar situations that it can be accomplished.

“I was very excited when this contest was announced because my business is the epitome of a successful mom-owned business.  It was started out of necessity so I could take care of my daughter,” Kosanke said.  “By the time she was well enough to start school this year, my business had grown from its very humble origins as a manufacturer of pre-paid, made-to-order items sold solely via my personal eBay account, to my products being manufactured by the tens of thousands and sold in stores across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.”

The competition is sponsored by Infusionsoft, and is in partnership with Ladies Who Launch and the National Association for Moms in Business.  Voting is underway, and goes through September.  Kosanke’s entry can be found on StartupNation’s website (http://www.startupnation.com/leading-moms-in-business/con...).  Supporters are encouraged to vote daily.

For more information or to schedule an interview with Kosanke, please call (717) 676-8327, or send an email to getnoticed@thewriteplacepr.com.

About Crazy K Farm
Crazy K Farm® is located in Hempstead, Texas approximately 45 miles northwest of Houston.  Chickens, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, goats and sheep are raised on the 35-acre working farm.  The majority of the animals are rescues.  Crazy K Farm® manufactures quality pet and poultry products including the patents-pending Hen Saver® hen apron, Avian Haven® hut for caged birds and Kitty Holster® cat harness.  The company is a member of the Houston Better Business Bureau, and is in the process of becoming a woman-owned business through the Small Business Administration.

About StartupNation
StartupNation provides over 175,000 pages of business advice and networking to entrepreneurs and serves millions of entrepreneurs annually.  StartupNation is a free service founded by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs with the intention of providing a one-stop shop for entrepreneurial success, including blogs from small business experts, podcasts, forums, webcasts, eBooks, award winning step-by-step advice, online and offline networking groups and more.

# # #

The WRITE PLACE PR is a top quality, affordably priced PR service that caters to businesses and entrepreneurs who are looking to get their companies off to the best possible start.