Location: Mack Creek, Mo.
Owner: Jerry Palmer
History:
Palmer Feed & Vet Supplies opened in 1998.
“I had worked at a hospital for 20 years and quit,” owner Jerry Palmer recalled. “I left to be closer to home to take care of my wife, who was ill. There was a feed business that went out, so I got a hold of those people and bought it. I still needed to work, so I started this from ground zero.”
Jerry said he grew up on a farm and spent many hours at farm and cattle auctions as a boy, and continues to raise livestock himself, so the feed business was a good fit for his new career.
“We ran beef cattle and had a dairy for a while, back when they had milk cans,” he said. “Over the years, I’ve raised hogs and I have cattle now.”
Products & Service:
Palmer Feed & Vet Supplies offers Crescent Feeds, as well as ADM products.
“I mainly carry cattle feed, horse feed, hog feed and things like that,” Jerry said. “I have a few sheep and goat customers I take care of as well. I keep SafeGuard and ivermectin dewormers in stock, which are my best selling dewormers.”
At this time, Palmer Feed & Vet Supplies is not offering any vaccines, partly because of changing federal regulations.
All feed is bagged and pick up is available at the 13274 Highway 54 location.
For pets, Palmer Feed & Vet Supplies exclusively offers Diamond dog food.
“It seems to be a pretty good line of dog food and haven’t had any complaints,” Jerry said.
In addition to feed and farm items, Palmer Feed & Vet Supplies is a walnut buyer each fall, offers scales to weigh trucks and trailers, and fills up propane bottles up to 100 pounds.
“Propane has been good,” Jerry said. “You just don’t have refill stations out there. It’s a service to the community. When I had the older store at (Highways) 54 and 73, and older man who had been in the propane business and asked why I didn’t get into selling propane. I said, ‘I don’t know anything about propane.’ He said there wasn’t anything to it. I really didn’t want to mess with it, but it’s turned out good for us.”
Palmer Feed also offers recycling services.
“A guy said, ‘Why don’t you buy aluminum cans?’ So I started doing that and it took off,” Jerry said.
Future Plans:
At this time, Jerry plans to continue his business in his small Camden County, Mo., community, but he knows one day he will have to retire.
“I’m 71 years old and one of these days I will have to find someone younger to take it over and do something with it,” Jerry said.
