Built by a Farmer Who Writes Code
Livestock Runner wasn't born in a startup incubator. It was born from mud boots, morning chores, and the frustration of tracking animals with notebooks and spreadsheets that never quite worked.
Russell Hudson
Founder & Developer · 20+ Years in E-Commerce & Software Engineering
In 2018, we left Myrtle Beach behind — the traffic, the HOA letters, the feeling that something was missing. We found our place in Great Falls, South Carolina: a piece of land where we could build something real.
The Hudstead started as a family homestead and grew into a working farm — Great Pyrenees guardian dogs, poultry, goats, and a roadside egg stand that neighbors actually count on. What started as a dream has grown into a thriving agricultural operation serving families throughout South Carolina and North Carolina.
But as the operation grew, so did the chaos. Breeding records in one notebook. Vet visits in another. Expenses in a spreadsheet that hadn't been updated since last season. Every tool we tried was either built for massive commercial ranches or too simple to be useful.
So I built the tool I actually needed — and Livestock Runner was born.
Most farm software is built by people who've never fed an animal at 5 AM. Livestock Runner is built by someone who does.
The Farm
The Hudstead is a working farm — not a hobby or a brand exercise. We raise livestock, sell to our community, and deal with the same daily realities every small farmer faces.
- Great Pyrenees livestock guardian dogs
- Poultry breeding & farm-fresh eggs
- Goat herd management
- Guardian dog consulting services
The Engineering
Before the farm, there were 20+ years building e-commerce systems — not just writing code, but owning entire operations: development, payments, fulfillment, shipping, and integrations.
- Shopify Plus architecture & e-commerce systems
- ERP integrations (NetSuite, AWS pipelines)
- Event-driven, resilient system design
- Launched first website over 24 years ago
Two decades of shipping production systems — where a broken checkout costs real money and a failed integration means orders don't ship — taught me principles I bring to Livestock Runner:
Your breeding records and financial data need to be correct and available, every time. We prioritize things working right over things looking fancy.
Every screen is designed to work on a phone, with dirty hands, in bad signal. If it's not fast and obvious, it doesn't ship.
No vendor lock-in games. No features gated behind enterprise tiers to pressure you into upgrading. Transparent pricing, honest software.
We're not building for 10,000-head feedlots. We're building for the family with 15 goats, 50 chickens, and a dog breeding program who deserve real tools too.
Everything we build into Livestock Runner gets tested on our own operation first. If a feature doesn't save us time in the barn, it doesn't make the cut.
Great Pyrenees
Livestock guardian dogs raised alongside farm animals, naturally prepared for guardian roles.
Farm-Fresh Eggs
Available at our roadside stand. Pasture-raised hens, $5/dozen.
Poultry & Goats
Quality chickens and goats raised with care using locally-adapted breeds.
We also offer livestock guardian dog consulting services for those looking to protect their own flocks and herds.
Our mission is to provide proven poultry products, livestock, and livestock guardian dogs to our community. We focus on breeding and marketing locally-adapted breeds that are selected based on worldwide accepted standards.
We believe in sustainable farming practices and raising animals the right way — with plenty of space, proper nutrition, and genuine care. And we believe small farmers deserve software that's just as thoughtful.
Location
1693 Windy Hill Lane
Great Falls, SC 29055