Family traditions: Farm supply keeps Rayburn family connected to their roots

By: Jeremy D. Wells

 Running a farm store wasn’t necessarily what Jennifer Owens or her brother, Roger Rayburn, planned on doing. But when the opportunity to purchase Globe Farm Supply presented itself earlier this year, they couldn’t pass it up. The store, after all, is built on their family’s land and adjacent to their father’s farm. 

“Our dad, years ago, had a sawmill over there. He had a sawmill over there, probably, almost thirty years, then retired and shut it down,” Owens said. 

It’s also something they were already intimately familiar with. 

“Roger and I were both raised on a farm, with cattle, hay, and tobacco,” Owens said. “So we had a little knowledge of the industry before we started here.” 

Since taking over they’ve used that knowledge, and customer feedback, to begin making changes to the store that allow them to better meet their customer’s needs. 

“We’ve added several things, and keep adding,” she said. 

The latest has been Carhartt clothing and overalls. That addition has proven so popular they are planning to relocate the tool display along the back wall and utilize the space there for more Carhartt options, including women’s clothing and sizes. She’s also added some outdoor home decor items, like yard decorations and seasonal flags 

For those with a sweet tooth, they sell locally produced food items like honey and jellies. 

“Farmers produce and stuff, we like to do that,” Owens said. 

They are also producing things themselves. 

“We grow our own pumpkins, and we’ve added all that this year, and all the fall stuff.”  

They’ve also added some lumber and hardware items to the mix, as well as hunting supplies and ammunition. Those, she said, have proven very popular. 

In fact, while talking with Owens and Rayburn a customer came in with questions about feed options for the deer on his property. He wasn’t the only one, either. Customers continuously came into the store with questions and requests throughout the interview, many addressing Roger and Jennifer by first name. It drove home that sense of community and cooperation that Owens said she wants to foster by offering locally produced items, like the Elswick Family Farm jellies, in their store. They’re located in Carter County, “just up the road,” she said, and grow their own berries and other produce for their jellies. 

Community, family and friends seem especially important to Owens and Rayburn. Roger’s son often helps out around the store, and Owens’ children sometimes stop in to lend a hand as well. But, she said, it isn’t just the local community who are taking advantage of their services. They have customers that come from Rowan, Elliott, and Boyd counties to shop with them too. They’re especially appreciative of the local support though. 

“Everybody’s jumped on board and helped us a lot,” Owens said. 

Globe Farm Supply is located on US Rt. 60, in Globe, and is open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 to 4. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com