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By Jerry Curry, Writer
The Feed Store in New Pekin has been passed to new hands. After 34 years in business, Jim and Demma Sanders, who are in their 70s, have decided to retire. Having a great love for the business, they wanted someone to take it over and continue their famous hometown style of service. When Whitney Smith’s father mentioned his daughter had always wanted the business, a bridge was formed to the new owner.
Will and Whitney Smith took up the challenge to continue service with a smile and hometown hospitality. They took over the store on November 1 with Jim hanging around as a mentor. The store continued with a few tweaks, like accepting credit cards, goat feed and a Christmas Tree. However, the process of handwritten orders continued on.
The Smith’s are juggling a lot. On top of the new Feed Store, they have two boys in the 4th and 6th grades at East Washington Schools, and Will still has his night job at UPS as a mechanic. Whitney, however, had previously worked ten years as a teacher's assistant at East Washington Middle School. They will be married for 15 years in May. Whitney is a lifelong resident of New Pekin and said, “I always wanted to own a store here.” They also have plans for a face lift of the building.
You can find nearly everything here. They offer bird, dog, bones, chicken, rabbit, hog, fish, horse, cat and goat food. Most of these products come from Danville, Kentucky and are the Formax Feeds brand. Plus, they also offer cedar and pine shavings and pet supplies. Customers can buy anywhere from one bag to a ton of food. Thankfully, they have a forklift for loading products along with a delivery service at an additional price.
One of their more popular items are their concrete figurines which tend to sell fast. Whitney hand paints each figure and applies a sealant to preserve the finish. She also makes a bird seed ring shaped with a bundt cake mold that sells for $10.
Once Spring rolls around, the Feed Store will offer plants for sale in addition to their usual products. These are all locally grown by the Amish.
Located at 76 IN-60, New Pekin, the new store hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. More information can be found on The Feed Store LLC Facebook Page or by calling (812) 967-3333. There is also a review that can be found on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNi2oHMNp6E by Chase Stanfill. Be sure to pay The Feed Store a visit!
Will and Whitney Smith.
Photos by Jerry Curry.