# The Feedmill Closed



## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

Today I went into town to pick up feed for various critters. The feed mill is closing at the end of the month. I can’t believe it (or don’t want to). I don’t remember the first trip to the feed mill, I’m sure I was a baby. I remember it fondly as a small child.

Two or 3 times each winter we’d load the farm truck with corn we’d grown, on top we’d stack bales of hay. The next morning we’d leave before daylight and go into town, usually on Saturday. When we got to the mill we’d get in line with other farmers. The first stop was to weigh the loaded truck on the large scales. Next pull onto the the big hoist that lifted the front of the truck up in the air. This would help the mill workers empty our load into the sunken conveyer belt in the floor.

Our corn and hay would be ground into livestock feed. Dad or Grandpa would tell the miller what other additives we might want in the mix, molasses etc. While grinding took place we’d weigh the empty truck to get an accurate number of pounds we’d brought into the mill. Then we’d back up to the loading dock. As we waited our feed would be bagged and then loaded onto our truck.

I remember I’d almost always get to have a Coca-Cola and a bag of peanuts, the only one I might have in a month. A big event for a small child in rural america. 

Like many small towns mine has almost died in the last 30 years. Business after business closed, industry and real jobs vanished. The feed mill was the last hold out from a world now gone. They stopped grinding feed for the public back in May. I knew this day was coming but today it really saddened me to see the notice on the door.

I said goodbye to the last mill worker and wished him well. He’d worked there 36 years, didn’t know what the future held. For years I’d teased him about getting a “gold hand truck” when he retired. Today I didn’t have the heart to bring up our familiar joke, neither did he…


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## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

Sorry to hear that!

I have the exact same memories of our old feed mill. Loading the truck out of the corncrib with scoop shovels. Then the scales, the big hoist that lifted the front end of the pickup, Arnie was the guy in the office that took care of the weighing, Ed & Rick were the two guys out in the mill. Ed would fill the sacks, we were allowed to tie the bags of feed, then Rick would throw them n the back of the truck. 
I always got a Choc-o-la out of the pop machine that had the little 8 oz. bottles in it. It was the kind of machine that the cap and bottle necks were sticking out a bit, and when you put your money in, it would release pressure so you could pull the bottle of pop out. it was the only place I have ever bought a Choc-o-la.

Ed & Rick must have had time on their hands because every time we went there, they would have some cool new thing to show us kids. Once, they made blow guns. A piece of 1/2" pipe about 5' long. A 16 penny nail with newspaper wrapped around the head. Man, they could blow those things a long way.

Ed was the local pony expert too. Anything we needed to know about our ponies, we'd wait til next time we went to get feed and ask Ed about our problem for advise.

So many great memories of that old feed mill. I couldn't believe it when they shut it down, bulldozed it all and built a Napa there. That had to be over 35 years ago, and I still remember everything about that place.

So sad when that happens. I never got to take my kids there and make that kind of memories.

Sorry for the long winded response


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## squerly (Aug 17, 2012)

That is a shame. Are there just not enough people left in town that are buying their product or has "Hope and Change" gotten the better of them?


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## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

jeff47041 said:


> Sorry to hear that!
> 
> I have the exact same memories of our old feed mill. Loading the truck out of the corncrib with scoop shovels. Then the scales, the big hoist...
> 
> ...


Changes in modern farming spelled the old mills doom long ago. The age of its facilities was part of it also. Big farms can buy equipment to grind their own feeds now. Just down the road is a modern agriculture company where you can order any mix of feed or fertilizer you want. How they stayed in business the last 20 years is remarkable.

Today I took a short walk through the old buildings remembering the sounds and smells from 50 years ago. I was surprised how many family memories were tied to that place, memories of my grandfather, an uncle and my dad.

It is sad to see it close. I think I'll go back Monday and take a few pictures...


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