SOLDIERS GROVE - Change is in the air it seems–it started with people buying and selling housing and now it has moved onto businesses.

The latest local business sale occurred in the last week of May, when three new owners took over running the Burkum Milling Company’s hardware and feed store from owner Wayne and Mary Burkum.

It’s a local thing. Wayne and Mary had been talking things over  with Anna Davidson, Joe Swiggum, and Dustin Byl, for a while before the sale crystalized last month.

The deal was concluded at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 26, and the new store, Solar Town Farm & Home, opened its doors Tuesday, May 30.

The new owners are definitely taking over running the feed mill, as well as the adjoining hardware store. While the basic services will remain the same, the new owners in their 30s and 40s are planning a few tweaks.

“We are full-fledged farmers,” owner Anna Davidson said. “We appreciated having a lot of local support.”

Dustin Byl will handle the feed ordering. Byl’s other job includes buying and selling feed and ingredients for Organic Valley. It’s job he’s held for the past 16 years.

Byl intends to offer customers a choice of three major types of feed, including organic, conventional and non-GMO.

Anna Davidson, a 4-H leader, is interested in helping people show animals at the county fair and beyond. She sees another kind of product in feed and elsewhere aimed at the once-again growing numbers invested in showing animals.

Davidson foresees the day when the store will offer a higher protein, more nutrient rich feed, designed to enhance the show animals. She also sees the store selling special show halters, grooming clippers and more items for show animals.

Existing employees

The new owners will rely heavily on two existing store employees, Christen and Josh. Christen functions as the store manager and both have taken on full-time positions.

Davidson and Byl will work weekend shifts, and where needed. Swiggum will continue working hard in his construction business and will become available  at some point in the future to help with renovation in the store.

The Swiggum and Byl families go way back in farming together. Anna pointed out that Joe and Dustin also used to run demolition derby cars together. Neither Swiggum or Byl seemed to want to comment on their derby days.

Unique possibilities

Davidson said that there are some unique possibilities for the store going forward. Essentially, Davidson wants to see more engagement with the community and the customer base. The woman with the local roots envisions a farmer’s market in the parking lot in season, selling pumpkins, squash and more. And, some more brat feeds.

Solar Town Farm and Home is currently thinking about having a regular Monday night Farmer Market in their parking lot.

The owners are very aware of the store’s exposure on Highway 61, and very much wants people to come into the store off the highway with visible signage and events.

Of course, Solar Town Farm & Home is also a Hardware Hank Store, with a line of tools and supplies that can be adapted for the needs of local customers.

One important role the store will continue to play and might expand is meeting the local hardware needs. Having what customers need nearby in Soldiers Grove will save the local residents long drives to nearby larger cities. That can save money, but just as important it can’t also save time in getting back to work.

Everywhere it seems there is a changing of the guard underway, and now that includes the hardware and feed store in Soldiers Grove. It’s still the right time to shop local.

Everyone local

All the partners live in the immediate area and are familiar with the community.

While the Burkum family certainly supported the local community, they did live in Viroqua. Nevertheless, the Burkums worked hard to support the local community in the 45 years they were in business in Soldiers Grove.

Anna noted that the feed needs and the hardware needs of the community have changed. The Burkums were much more oriented toward the small dairy farmers, which used to be so numerous in the area.

“We’re going to have all the things they did before and we’ll respond to the requests from our customers,” Davidson said.

Dustin said a customer stopped in to buy a waterer and realized the store had the organic feed she had just driven all the way to Cashton to buy.

The Solar Town Farm & Home Store is open from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. The store is located at 103 Sunbeam Boulevard East in Soldiers Grove and can be reached by phone at 608-624-5440.

Things looked pretty fine last Saturday as the new owners celebrated the store’s opening with brats and refreshments, among a smiling crowd of  their families, friends, neighbors, and customers. In addition to the brats, there were plenty of smiles to go around.