New feed store in Rosalia open now

The former livestock feed mill in Rosalia has switched hands to become a general farm supply store. Rosalia couple Heather and Mat Smith took over the lease for the former Elenbaas mill April 1.

Their Smith Country Store will soon carry farm, livestock and gardening supplies.

“It’s going to cater to more of a farm supply store,” said Heather. She hopes to have the new products in stock by May 1.

The store is open six days a week: 8 a .m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

They will still carry livestock feed from Elenbaas as Heather has remained a satellite employee with them.

Elenbaas was using the site to make livestock feed with the mill and had been in business in Rosalia for a year and a half. They terminated their lease for the building with Cooperative Agriculture Producers Incorporated at the end of March.

The next day, April 1, Smith Country Store opened.

Heather said the mill has been used by different companies to make livestock feed since the early 1960s in Rosalia. Elenbaas is a Northwest-based livestock feed producer which sells in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

“There is still a lot of need for the service to be there. People continue to buy and want the feed- they want it available,” Smith said.

Smith is a life-long Rosalia citizen and graduated from Rosalia High School in 1995 as Heather Lindgren. Smith worked for Elenbaas for the time the business was open and worked for Co-Ag before that.

Mat works for Pacific Power Products in Spokane. Heather said he’ll keep working his job there as their store gets off the ground.

Among products offered will be basic pet care items like de-worming and de-licing medicines, collars, and kitty litter.