This may come as a surprise to some of you, but here goes: I am not a country girl. I’m not a farmer, nor am I a rancher. I do own two pairs of cowboy boots, and I had a loose cow in my yard once, but that’s about the extent of my knowledge on the subject of the agricultural lifestyle.
That being said, I didn’t figure there was much of a reason for me to ever set foot inside Stillwater Milling. I mean, it’s a feed store, right? I don’t need to go there.
Well, this rarely happens, but I was wrong, wrong, wrong.
First, the department that will appeal to a lot of you at Stillwater Milling is the pet department. They carry feed for basically any kind of animal, including all livestock and household pets, as well as specialty pets. You can pick up food for your dog or cat, but also your mini pig, miniature horse, or pigeon. Yes, pigeon. Even the Tulsa Zoo gets food from Stillwater Milling on occasion! If they don’t have it in stock, special orders are always available.
The pet department also includes accessories, from toys and leashes to pillows, beds, treats, and flea and tick repellent. They’ve got your skunk remedy, too, which is a good thing to know this time of year!
Another good thing to know this time of year is that Stillwater Milling has their greenhouse up and running, with live plants and flowers, vegetables, and any gardening implements you may need. And, of course, plant food. They’re also stocked up on potting soils and mulch. Get ready to garden, y’all!
Speaking of feed, Stillwater Milling is an authority on the subject. Even though the company began as a flour mill, providing flour and corn meal for home baking purposes, they have been involved in the feed business since the 1950s. The original location in Stillwater expanded to an agri-center, which is what we are familiar with now, in 1975. An agri-center is a large, comprehensive farm and home complex with multiple buildings, offering not only bulk and bagged A & M feeds but also feed components such as wheat midds, fertilizer and fertilizer spreading, fencing and similar materials, feed and watering troughs, livestock handling equipment, animal medicines including injectables, clothing, boots, tools, gardening seeds and supplies, and about everything else needed for the farm and ranch. The Claremore store opened in July 1978 as a feed warehouse. In 1982, it expanded to the agri-center. The current building opened in March 2001.
There are locations in Stillwater, Claremore, Davis, and Perry. Each store is similar, but local management determines the direction of each store. The base ingredients are the same, but some of the flavors might be different, so to speak. The Davis location even carries Brighton bags and jewelry!
Another section of the store that applies to non-country folks like myself is pest control. They’ve got all kinds of traps and poison for mice, rats, moles, and more. You don’t have to have a barn to need a mouse trap!
Something else I’ve purchased at Stillwater Milling is weed killer. They have a fantastic selection! Of course, they have a variety, which caters to the average Jane like myself, as well as sprayers and chemicals for large-scale spraying. If you need to spray a pasture, check out Stillwater Milling. They also carry grass seeds and fertilizers, and rent spreaders for big jobs. In addition, they have staff who can answer your questions.
For you non-ag people who enjoy shopping, did you know that Stillwater Milling has a toy section? They’ve got all kinds of toys and books, so if you need a last-minute gift while you’re picking up your feed, they’ve got you covered. There is also a really large clothing department! They’ve got the good, solid, outdoorsy clothing like Carharrt coveralls, coats, and vests, but also gloves, socks, shirts, jeans, slippers, and belts. They have kids clothes, too! Ball caps and cowboys hats are for sale, and a massive boot selection, with brands like Red Wing, Rockies, Twisted X, and Ariat. They’ve got muck boots, too. And some seriously adorable boots and moccasins for kiddos.
Now, of course, Stillwater Milling has all of your farming and ranching needs; I just don’t know as much about those. But they do carry tractor and trailer parts. They have cattle chutes, and any hardware or agricultural parts that you may need. For cattle, they’ve got feed and medicine. For horses, they carry the same, as well as all kinds of tack. They have water and feeding equipment for basically any kind of livestock. And fencing….oh, so many kinds of fencing! Barbed wire, net wire….all kinds of wire to keep your animals where they’re supposed to be.
And in the middle of all of this, remember that Stillwater Milling has a large, caring staff ready to help you out and answer your questions. Many of them have been with the company for years, so they know what they’re doing.
Stillwater Milling is located at 721 W. 6th St. You can’t miss it; it’s next to the tallest building in town, the grain elevator. They are open Monday – Friday from 8a – 6p, and Saturday from 8a – 5p. Follow them on Facebook for the latest information, and learn more at StillwaterMill.com.
-MCM Staffer Ashley,
who could spend a lot of money
at Stillwater Milling, even without
a cattle habit