Keremeos is going to get a feed supply store back in the community.
Penticton Feedway owner Johnny Aantjes decided to fill the void in Keremeos that Growers Supply Co. left when they closed the Keremeos location in late November.
The Feedway will be opening in mid to late February where the Dan’s Auto used to be on Veterans Ave.
“We feel we found a really good location in Keremeos at Dan’s,” said Aantjes. “Dan is retiring and was a big part of the community so we wish him well in his retirement.”
Aantjes is also opening a feed store in Oliver after seeing so many customers come into Penticton from communities further south. The Oliver Feedway will be open in early February.
Since Growers closed its Keremeos location, farmers have been forced to make the long drive to Penticton or Oliver to get their supplies.
The Keremeos Feedway will be selling everything from pet food, shavings, salt blocks to livestock feed for everything from chicken, horse and even alpaca.
“Feed is our primary seller. We are able to keep the prices down for feed. We have been running the Penticton Feedway for two years now and we really focus on having lots of product, really good customer service and good hours. We want to keep that momentum going in our Keremeos and Oliver stores.”
One of the big focuses at both the Oliver and Keremeos locations will be on laying hens and chicks.
“We will be selling chicks in spring. That really works well with our store,” he added.
Farmers like Mohinder Dhaliwal, owner of A&M Orchards, was shaken by the news that Keremeos’ Growers Supply Co. would shut down in November.
Dhaliwal and other farmers in the Keremeos area said the closure left them with no other option than to drive to Oliver or Penticton to buy supplies for their businesses — a trip that is not only time consuming but also costly and even dangerous in the winter.
“It’s a big problem… right now I can drive here and get what I need in five minutes. A trip to Penticton could take over two hours depending on traffic and weather,” Dhaliwal said when the store announced its closure. “It’s a lot of time and money… without this farming will be very tough.”
The Oliver Feedway will open Feb. 1 at 5855 Main St. The Keremeos Feedway will open mid February at 520 Veterans Ave. in Keremeos.
The hours will be the same as the Penticton location which is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the weekends.
monique.Tamminga@pentictonwesternnews.com
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