nothing wrong with a slower pace of life. People are always so rushed, we miss out on so much. This younger genera on communicates with texts and you know that’s sad because they lose out on really ge ng to know people. We have a lot of people who come out and want to talk about what the ca le market is doing. By visi ng with them, we can also learn more about their agricultural needs.”
The Bandy Ranch Feed Store is located a half-mile north of Highway 60, roughly halfway between Vinita and A on on the Craig County side of county line road 4490. You can also fi nd them on Facebook or contact them by phone at 918-323-7300.
Feed store hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The store is closed daily for lunch.
Said Beckie: “Being a family-owned business, if someone needs something in the evening or on a weekend, they can call us and we are able to help them. We’ve had people who have run out of feed and they need help. That is one of the things we hope to con nue. We know what works for one person doesn’t always work for someone else.
In addi on to the feed store, the Bandy Ranch encompasses 200 acres, where the family maintains a cow/calf herd as well as feeder and stocker ca le. You can even buy your next side of beef here.
“We sell live butcher calves,” John said. “We feed them out here and if customers want they can come and pick them out and we’ll deliver to a slaughterhouse here locally. It’s a good way to get farm fresh beef. You are actually buying a live animal. You can’t get much fresher than that. Come down and pick one out and we’ll haul it to one of the local butchers.”
John and Beckie have lived here since 1991, but John’s family has been in this area fi ve genera ons. John a ended
school at Cleora and then graduated from Vinita High School in 1989. He was president of the school’s FFA chapter and was recognized his senior year as a star farmer by the statewide associa on. He said he was greatly infl uenced by his ag teacher, Raymond Cook. He said Cook even served as a groomsman at his wedding.
John’s love for agriculture was formed early in life. And s ll inspires his business today.
All my life we’ve lived out in the country and had animals,” he said. “In the 80s we were big into hog produc on. The corpora ons kind of took over the hog market. That’s when we made the transi on into the ca le.”
Involvement in the community and doing business locally are both emphasized by the Bandys and their venture.
“We spend our money locally,” John explained. “We use local mechanics to work on our trucks, we buy our fuel locally, and we support local schools and organiza ons. We’re big on doing for the kids.”
John recently accepted the mantle as director of the Top Hand Club, following the passing of the organiza on’s founder, Mike Carroll. The club solicits dona ons to purchase premiums and add-ons for area youth at local fairs and livestock shows.
“I was honored to have been asked to assume that role,” John said. “We hope to take a good program that Mike started and con nue on with it.”
Beckie has taught school at Vinita for 21 years. She added: “Our children are involved in the school and 4-H programs, so we try to stay involved in those areas, too.”
If its business philosophy is any indica on, the Bandy Ranch Feed Store will be a fi xture in the community for the long haul.
March 2017 - 7
“We feel we have been very blessed,” John said. “When I say we’re blessed, I believe the good Lord has truly blessed us. We prayed a lot before we made this investment, built the building and bought our inventory. We have a good customer base that we consider to be our friends, not just our customers. We want to reward that loyalty. Instead of taking out a huge debt to pay for everything, we’ve paid as we’ve gone. So we don’t carry a huge overhead. We can keep our prices compe ve on everything we off er. We try to keep it that way so people don’t have to go somewhere else. Our business philosophy has been that it is be er to have a hundred customers and make a dollar off of each one rather than try to make a hundred dollars off of one. The bigger your customer base, the more secure your business.”
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