Carter County Farm & Feed opens here

BONNERS FERRY — Charlie Carter moved to Idaho nearly 20 years ago to be back in the country again.

“You know it,” the bearded 49 year old says, a catchphrase he uses liberally.

Carter opened his first Carter Country Farm and Feed store in Sandpoint in 1999 and on Monday, June 16 opened a second location in Bonners Ferry at 6127 S. Main St. in the old American Industrial building.

Carter was in the service business in Houston, Texas, before deciding to open his first feed store in Idaho, a longtime dream of his.

“My grandpa used to have one in North Carolina when I was a kid,” he explains.

After running a successful operation in Sandpoint for 15 years, he saw the need for a store in Bonners Ferry. The Bonners Ferry location is a few minutes closer to his house in Elmira, and he likes the small town atmosphere of the town, he says.

The Bonners Ferry location will sell livestock feed and farm supplies, pet food and supplies, animal health products, fencing and gardening supplies, as well as country-themed gifts, but Carter expects his inventory to change as the store gets going.

“The store in Sandpoint looks completely different than how it started,” Carter says, “the Bonners Ferry store will morph into what people up here want.”

Although Carter’s store will have some product overlap with local retailers, he sells a different variety of products that make his store unique.

“We have brands that you won’t find at the grocery store,” Carter says. “If one person wants something, I’ll get it for them. If two people want something, it ends up on the shelves.”

The store has the option to lease another 1,200 square feet in the building if they need to expand retail space.

Carter Country Farm and Feed will have a soft opening on Monday to help break in the new employees and work out the bugs in the point of sale system before a big grand opening in July. Representatives were on hand this week to help set up shelves and displays for Monday’s opening.

“Charlie is one of the good ones,” said the representative from Animal Supply Company, referring to Carter’s laid back attitude.

Signs for the business will arrive this week, and should be up in time for Monday’s opening. The parking lot has a new coat of blacktop and lines should follow. Carter wanted a new coat of green paint on the building, but given the recent rain has decided to wait until July.

Carter Country Farm and Feed will be open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. They can be found online at www.cartercountryfeed.com