Funeral Procession = Better Day

Last Friday was a perfectly pleasant day. The weather was beautiful and it was a bright, sunny day. The horses and people were all smiling and content. It was one of those days when everyone with an office job is jealous of those working outside.

Jason and I were filling up the hay feeders before we took a break for lunch. We have a routine down. He is on the tractor moving the bales around and placing them in the feeders. I open and shut the gates and remove the strings from the bales. We were in the last pasture in the midst of putting out the last two bales when the front right tire on the tractor went flat. The amount of time that went by from the moment I noticed the tire was looking low to the tire was flat was less than a minute. Not kind of flat, or just starting to go flat, but so flat I wasn't sure if the tire was going to stay on the rim in the span of a minute. I ran to the gate and screamed at Jason to leave the pasture now!! He managed to get the tractor just on the other side of the pasture gate and then it was going to go no further.

Needless to say this put quite a damper on our moods. In a flash we went from working at a leisurely pace and enjoying the day to OMG we have to get this tire fixed right now. Jason removed the tire from the tractor, we loaded it in the trunk of the car and headed to the co-op.

The co-op is on the other side of town from our farm, and of course it was right at lunch time. We managed to hit every single traffic light as it was turning red. When we were actually moving everyone was acting like they were out for a Sunday drive and the top speed seemed to be in the neighborhood of 20 miles per hour.

Jason is an impatient driver at the best of times and this was pushing him over the edge. As we approached yet another traffic light turning red behind a line of cars going about 15 miles per hour Jason blew his top. "The only thing that could make this day worse would be if we get caught in a !#$% funeral procession!"

You can imagine what happened next.

That's correct, about two minutes later cue the funeral procession. The look on Jason's face was priceless. I couldn't help but burst into hysterical laughter. After a minute even Jason started laughing and our moods improved dramatically thanks to that funeral procession. I am sorry for the friends and family who lost a loved one but I thank them for making us take a moment to realize that our life really wasn't as bad as we were making it out to be. An hour later the tire was repaired. We returned to the farm and the drive back to the farm went much more smoothly than the drive to the co-op. Jason mounted the tire on the tractor and we finished feeding hay.

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The bird in this blurry picture taken early this morning has been identified on Facebook as either a chicken hawk or a red tail hawk. What do you think?

Noble

Kennedy

MyLight and Cinnamon

Who is that . . . ?

It's Sebastian!

Stormy saying to Rampal "let's play!"

Cuffie and Traveller

Calimba and Maisie

B-Rad

Alex always stands with his tongue sticking out for a few minutes after getting a drink of water

Gus

Bonnie's Barnyard, Our Outstanding Local Feed Store

I recently had the opportunity to have a Q&A session with Bonnie Ozburn, one of the owners of Bonnie's Barnyard. Bonnie and her husband Stephen own and operate Bonnie's Barnyard in Triune, Tennessee. Bonnie's Barnyard is a feed and animal health store that services pet and livestock needs. We became customers of Bonnie and Stephen shortly after they opened the store and are just one of their many loyal fans. Their customer service is unsurpassed and they go out of their way to fill any request. We buy our Triple Crown feed from Bonnie's Barnyard as well as a lot of our daily supplies, dog and cat food, chicken feed for The Don and goat feed for the World's Cutest Fainting Goats.

Bonnie and Stephen have seen their store experience tremendous growth since they opened in October 2006, no doubt due to their outstanding customer service along with carrying a wide variety of feed lines and other animal health products. Last year they bought property just a couple of miles from their current location and are in the process of building a new store and warehouse. We are thrilled to see their business thriving and look forward to seeing their new location.

Bonnie and Stephen live a few miles from the store. They share their home with their two dogs Josie and Roscoe, two horses, 21 chickens and 65 goats.

Bonnie & Stephen in front of the store

1. When did you open the store?

October 2006

2. When did you decide you wanted to open a feed store? Once you decided you were going to go forward, how long was it until the doors opened?

My husband Stephen was the one who originally thought we should open a feed store. He first brought it up in the spring of 2006. In December 2005 the Nolensville Feed Mill, where I was employed at the time, sold to a new owner. The new owners almost immediately revamped it into an antique store instead of keeping it a feed mill. When I would be out and about town, like at the grocery, I would run into customers asking where they could find certain products, anything from feed mixes to animal health products. I then would tell Stephen about all the conversations and questions. Clearly the need was there which led to Stephen suggesting we open our own store. Talk about Dreaming BIG!! We worked all spring and summer on finding a location. After several (SEVERAL) roadblocks, we ended up where we are now and were able to open in October 2006.

3. How did you decide what inventory to carry when you first opened?

When we first opened, our “Opening Inventory” was based on items and products that I was familiar with from working at the Nolensville Feed Mill and at Tractor Supply Company, and also from my notes I had my made from the grocery store conversations with customers.

I was employed by TSC for 4 years, and the Nolensville Feed Mill for 1 year. These two jobs got me through high school and college AND I found my hubby!! TSC is where Stephen worked in high school, too!!

4. What all did you need to have when the store opened aside from inventory? (as in skid steer, computer, etc?)

When we first opened we needed everything from inventory to office supplies. After several trips to Staples and Wal-Mart we had ourselves set up with a computer, QuickBooks, pens, paper, tape, staplers, chairs, stools, phones and a fax machine!! The desk that we use as a “counter” per say was my Grandpa’s! Our first large purchase was a forklift and after that came the pallet jack and feed dollies.

We also worked a lot on the building. The front door used to be a heavy black solid door with four locks on the front (not sure if any actually worked) and rust holes halfway up. We bought a glass “commercial” door and replaced the solid black door. We also painted the building, it was an ugly gray-green color, but is now a cute “barn-red” with white trim. A little bit of landscaping, some 80 sheets of plywood (painted crème colored) to cover the inside walls, and some red paint for the floor of the office, then we were good to go!

5. Do you use a special computer program to keep up with inventory and such or can you do everything in QuickBooks?

We have found that QuickBooks is sufficient for all we do, at least for now!

6. Purina was the original line of feed that you started with correct? How did you decide on Purina?

Yes, Purina was our original line of feed. We went with them for a few reasons. One, they are nationally known and already have great brand recognition. They have a wonderful line of products. In addition I was familiar with their line from working at the Nolensville Feed Mill as Purina was a main vendor there as well.

7. When did you start adding other major lines of feed?

Shortly after we opened we started adding other lines. As our business grew, companies began contacting us to see if we would be interested in pushing their products. On the other hand, we would also have customers asking for certain companies/products, so we would make a phone call to them and see if they were interested in us pushing their line. In five years we have gone from 3 vendors to easily over 20!

8. How many lines of feed do you carry now (can you list them)?

I’ll try: (Melissa here; I've bolded a few brands that are equine related, I may have missed some)

Ainsworth Nutrition (VF Complete/Enhance/Back to Basics)
Blue Buffalo
CPC, Commodities
Faithway
Farmers’ Milling, Co.
Fromm
Glover Farms
Guardian Shavings
McCauley, Bros.
Nutrena
Producer’s Feeds
Progressive Nutrition
Purina
Orijen Dog Feed
Ontario-Dehy
Redmond Naturals
Royal Canine
Southern States
SouthLand Supply
Standlee Hay Company
Triple Crown Nutrition
Tucker Milling

Stephen & Bonnie in the warehouse of Bonnie's Barnyard

9. How do you decide when you want to add another line of feed? And how do you decide which products from that line to keep in stock?

Obviously we want to carry what sells so if there is a need or want for it, we do our best to try and get that product in. Unfortunately, due to a lack of space at our current location, some of those feeds/products are more considered Special Orders and do not necessarily have a regular home in the warehouse…yet!!

10. What do you feed the most of? Cows, horses, dogs, cats, chickens or . . . ?

Horses!! Though, cattle would be next with chickens and goats close behind!

11. How do you pick suppliers? For example there has to be lots of places to purchase shavings, or to buy alfalfa pellets and salt blocks, so how do you decide which ones to carry?

Quality, price and availability are some reasons why we purchase from certain suppliers. For others, they may be the only company who carries that line or product. I also like and look for a company that is friendly and offers helpful customer service!

12. How did you decide on the name Bonnie’s Barnyard (instead of say Stephen’s Barnyard)?

We prayed about it!! I really liked it because it was catchy and feminine but not too feminine. There were several names thrown out there but this one just seemed to fit best!

13. What feed advice do you find yourself giving most often in regards to feeding horses?

WEIGH your feed and hay!! (Jason is saying “right on” about weighing your feed/hay)
Follow tag directions!!

14. What are some of the most common questions you answer?

When will your new building be ready?
How much am I supposed to feed?
Which feed will work best for my horse…or show steer…or sheep…or goat?
What feed do I get again? (Melissa here, I think this common question is my favorite!)

15. What days/times of the week tend to be the busiest?

Saturdays are the busiest and are busy all day. Fridays and Mondays are also very busy but more so first thing in the mornings and when people are on their way home after work.

Bonnie always has a smile for everyone

16. What has surprised you about being in the feed business?

Every day I am surprised! I am surprised by how far people drive to shop with us, we have 2 customers that come once a month from different parts of Alabama to pick up feed. I am also surprised how we can be a place to hang out and “shoot the breeze” for some. I am surprised how some just come by to get a lick on the cheek from Josie or Roscoe. I am surprised how some customers’ critters really DO eat better than they do!

17. How long does it take to unload a delivery of feed for the store, and how many days per week do you have feed and supplies being delivered to the store?

We usually have at least one truck every day, but Thursdays are usually the busiest averaging 4 deliveries…and sometimes they all pull up at once!

18. How do you decide what supplements and supplies to stock inside the retail store? What are your biggest sellers in there (and does it vary through the seasons like selling tons of flyspray in the summer for example)?

The seasons play a major role in the hot sellers! Yes, we do sell A LOT of fly sprays in the spring, summer and fall!! Flea and tick spot-ons like FrontLine Plus or Advantix tend to be pretty popular year-round, as well as de-wormers for all critters. We sell much more hay in the winter months, and much more feed (all kinds), too!

As far as supplements go, our shelves have filled over the years. Where we once only had a handful of supplements, we now have an array of them. From weight supplements to hoof supplements…from probiotics to vitamin supplements….and all in between! This is due in part to what the customer asks for and also if I hear about a product that I think our customers would have a need for.

19. Tell us about your two dogs. Do they come to the store all day every day?

Josie is a Blue Heeler/Jack Russell mix who just turned 5 and has quite the personality, She LOVES kids and tennis balls! Roscoe is a full blooded Blue Heeler who will be 3 in April and is my Love-Bug. They are our official greeters!! They are at the store with us the majority of the time, though they often take half-days and head home around lunch time, especially if it’s very hot or cold that day. Oh, and they also like to sleep in on Saturdays, so we just go ahead give them that day off!!

20. I know you have big plans for your new location. When do you hope to move?

We do have big plans and cannot wait to move. We are super excited about what is to come in the future, with the new store will come new opportunities and products!! We HOPE that we will be able to actually move later this spring, early summer…like April or May.

21. What did you know you wanted to have at your new location? Jason and I certainly had a list of Must-haves after living with our old location for several years.

Must Haves included central heat & air and a bathroom/running water!!! We will also have a separate office for paperwork and a break-room for our “Barnyard Boys!”

22. Has your vision of what you wanted the store to be changed now that you have been in business for a few years?

Our business does serve many horse owners, but I would have never dreamed that so many people would have chickens. It is like an addiction I suppose though, as I LOVE just watching our small flock scratch the ground and chase fireflies!

I would love for our store to be the “one place shop” for all of your barnyard needs, especially when it comes to animal health. Hopefully we will be one day!

23. What trends have you seen happen in the feed business and/or are there things that you anticipate happening in the feed business?

Trends…
Horses: Low Starch
Cattle: Non-Medicated Feeds
Sheep: They really exist in Tennessee!
Goats: Dairy Goats
Chickens: All-Natural/Organic Feeds
Dogs & Cats: Grain Free

I do foresee more and more customers leaning towards a more natural approach to raising their critters, from the feeds to their living conditions (hence, free-range chickens)

24. Do you think you will ever take some time off? (I had to ask this question as I don't think Stephen and Bonnie have missed one single day of work since the store opened. I think Jason and I work way too much but they make me feel like a lazy slug!!)

As far as a vacation goes, not for a while!! Though, I do hope to be able to take lunches this year!!

25. How do you manage to always be in a good mood? (Another question I had to ask. Bonnie and Stephen always have the same level of good humor and positive outlook every time you visit the store.)

It’s simple…I choose to treat people how I would like to be treated!!

These questions barely scratched the surface as far as learning about the store and all that goes into running such a successful business. I hope you've enjoyed learning more about Stephen, Bonnie and Bonnie's Barnyard. Everyone should be so lucky to have such an excellent resource in their local area!

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Johnny and Tiny

Noble going in for a big bite of hay along with Snappy and O'Reilly

Hemi, Apollo, Trigger and Homer on the move

then Grand took over the lead followed by Apollo, Homer and Thomas

Sam doing his post meal licking routine; Dutch and Wiz in the background

B-Rad, Alex and Lighty

Lightening

Fonzi and Silver

Gus, Romeo and George

Renny

Renny, officially known as Renaissance, is a thoroughbred gelding that was bred in Virginia. Renny and his mom first met each other Renny's mom and her trainer made a weekend horse shopping trip to Virginia. They spent the entire weekend going from barn to barn to barn trying horses. Renny's mom was still a novice rider at that point, and Renny's owner at the time was also a fairly novice rider. She was going back to school and needed to sell Renny. Renny happened to be the first horse they tried that weekend on their horse shopping trip. Although Renny was young and green the ride went well. Then they kept going to more barns and riding more horses. At the end of the weekend Renny's mom asked her trainer what he thought and he said "buy Renaissance, the first horse you rode!" Thus 19 years ago Renny and his mom became a team.

Renny showing off his winning form

Renny made the move from Virginia to Ohio, and as everyone had thought when they tried him Renny was very talented. As it turned out he could also be quite a handful at times and had quite a squeal and a buck on occasion. Apparently Renny always let out a high-pitched, pig sounding squeal before he would let out a big buck. His mom said he often did this routine after jumping a jump in beautiful form and she would find herself no longer on Renny's back!

Renny

During his early years of showing Renny's mom had a great friend named Terri who really clicked with the young and occasionally rowdy Renny. She began showing Renny in the adult hunters at the "A" shows. Terri's experience and eye for a distance combined with Renny's beautiful jump and movement made them a real presence in the show ring. They won everywhere in the adult hunters and were Zone 5 champions one year.

showing at the Kentucky Horse Park

As Renny gained experience in the show ring he developed into a wonderful show ring partner for his mom as well. Renny's mom said eventually Renny got to the point where he made her look like she really knew what she was doing. If she made a mistake on course or was trying to ride to a bad distance Renny would simply ignore her and focus on his job. In her words "although Renny was a handful when he was young he matured into a graceful schoolmaster."

Renny and his mom on their way to winning another hack class

In addition to his beautiful form over fences Renny frequently won the hack classes as well. His mom said she and Renny were getting ready to go in for a hack class at a very prestigious show. The class was really big and the competition was hard with many beautiful movers in the class. Her trainer had other riders he needed to attend to in other rings and left her and Renny to do the hack class on their own. Since the class was so big he probably assumed that she and Renny were not going to do anything spectacular or she might make a mistake. As it turned out she and Renny won the class and her trainer made it back to the ring in time to make sure everyone knew that it was a horse in his barn that had won the class!

Renny and his mom hanging out horse shows

Although he was a beautiful mover and looked like he was floating around the arena, his mom said riding him did not always feel that way. Aside from riding through his squeals and bucks when he was younger, the only thing she did not enjoy about riding Renny was trying to ride him with no stirrups. It is often the case that the prettiest hunter movers can be quite uncomfortable to ride, especially at the trot. Trying to do no stirrup work on them can be incredibly difficult.

Some of his mom's fondest memories are from the way Renny would announce her presence to everyone at horse shows. Often Renny would ship to the horse shows a day or two ahead of his mom. When Renny would start screaming in his stall everyone would say "his mom is here." Renny always knew when she had arrived at the horse show even when she had not yet seen him and was nowhere near his stall. But Renny always knew and he would start screaming and announcing her presence, and he would keep it up until she came to his stall to say hello.

A portrait of Renny and two of his "brothers" that hangs above his mom's fireplace. Renny is in the middle.

Renny was in work up until his retirement with us this summer. He wasn't jumping anymore but he was still happy to go out on hacks. However his last winter prior to retirement things were a little harder for him. When he could not go out much due to snow or cold he would stiffen up and was not as comfortable as he used to be. She decided it would be best for Renny to move him to a more moderate climate where it would be more comfortable for him to be out and moving around more. After being together for almost 19 years it was a really hard decision to not be able to see him every day. However after he had given her so much through the years she decided it was time to give back to Renny, and he joined us for retirement.

Renny enjoying retirement with his friends Sam and Sebastian

We hope you have enjoyed getting to know Renny and his mom as much as we have!

Daffodils on Groundhog Day

(post by Jason) Any groundhog who came out of his hidey hole to have a look around here in Middle Tennessee definitely saw his shadow today. I hope the pesky little rodent enjoyed the sunshine and the 65 degree temperatures that accompanied it, and I hope he had a good look at the early daffodils and forsythia in bloom all over the Mid-State today with his six more weeks of winter prognostication.

I've been an amateur phenologist for most of my adult life, and for far longer than I knew what the study of phenology was. In Ontario I used to watch for and keep track of bloom dates for daffodils, tulips, snowdrops, crocuses, lilacs and forsythia. Additionally, I also kept track of leaf out dates for willow (earliest tree to green up, usually late April or early May), Manitoba Maple, Sugar Maple, White Oak, and Locust (latest tree to leaf out...usually the end of May or early June).

Here in Tennessee I do much the same thing. As I walk the farm each day checking horses, cows and fences, my eyes are always drawn to the fencerows and woods, particularly to spots where stuff I watch for every year grows. I'm still learning the layout and the various plant species at the new farm, but I found a fantastic patch of daffodils in every pasture two springs ago and I watch for them early every spring.

The horses have been enjoying our very mild temperatures and I noticed today that the cool season grasses have broken their winter semi-dormancy and are seriously beginning to green up. While it's not too late for us to get some cold winter weather it has been my experience here in Tennessee that once the grass starts to really green up it is most likely going to keep at it no matter what the weather throws at it. As such, the horses are spending less time around their hay feeders and more time stealthily searching for a bite of fresh green grass.

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the daffodils on February 2nd

Lily napping shortly after the rain stopped yesterday

Lighty, Fuzzy and Renny

Chimano, Romeo, George and Faune

Winston and Fonzi

Renny

Alex

Murphy, Dutch and Wiz

Fabrizzio, Thor and Lightening

Who's coming up the driveway ?

I've mentioned before that it's continually surprising to me how many people we interact with in the course of an average day. Many interactions get done in an impromptu fashion at various local community gathering places. If I choose to, I can spend as long as I want at the feed store, post office, gas station or local coffee shop. However our driveway seems to be a magnet for visitors and more often than not we watch the flow of visitors driving in and out of our very long driveway.


Most days the first vehicles to drive up belong to one or another of our employees. They bring with them a wealth of local knowledge and I enjoy hearing about and following the local foxhunting updates as well as what may or may not be happening in various local households and on various farms. We see vets, farriers, various service employees as well as an inordinate number of people who are trying to sell us something, most often something totally implausible.

From time to time we get people who are lost and are asking for directions. I feel sorry for these people when they drive up and find Melissa instead of me when directions are needed. (Melissa here - it is true that I hardly know where I am half the time and I certainly don't need to be giving anyone directions. Jason on the other hand is a walking, talking GPS system.). I think my favorite question was the guy who drove up, spotted me, and asked me if I could tell him who owned the farm. Apparently I looked like an unlikely owner in my dirty jeans and work boots.


Of course the best and most frequent visitors are friends and good neighbours, of whom we thankfully have plenty. I'm looking forward to seeing who turns in the driveway tomorrow!

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Thor and Snappy

Happy grazers; Fuzzy, Murphy, Renny, Wiz, Dutch, Sam, Chili

Darby, Alex, B-Rad and Lighty

Thomas and Homer

Rocky and Clayton

Rampal and Johnny

Kennedy, Rampal and Toledo

Thor, Noble and Walden

Fonzi, Asterik and Gus