Nuts and bolts of farming and home improvement available at the Ag Supply

Got a horse suffering from dry hooves? The Ag Supply in Brewster has liniment for that.

Need sprinklers for the sprinkler system in the yard? Pipes for it? Need weed killer? Lawn fertilizer? Cute little, um, bird feeder-shiny ball-lawn ornament type of something to dress up the front yard a little? Need special dog treats that are formulated so that the dog won't kill the grass when he does his business? The Ag Supply has all of that.

Need welding gloves? Yup, the Ag Supply has that. Deck stain? Got that too. Car cleaner? Hand cleaner? Window cleaner? Yup, yup and yup, the Ag Supply has all of that. Plaster of Paris? Mason jars? Axe handles? Okay, enough already. By the way, they have all that.

For seven decades farmers and homeowners and handymen and DIYers have been stopping by the Ag Supply to get the nuts and bolts - literally - they need to run the farm and fix up the house; generations of farmers and handymen have leaned against the Ag Supply's counter to shoot the breeze, talk about fruit prices and survey the world situation generally. The Ag Supply will be recognized as the Business of the Year at the annual Brewster Chamber of Commerce banquet next Monday, March 16, at 6:30 p.m. at American Legion Post 97 in Brewster. Dr. Fred Schnibbe and his wife Verona will be honored as the Citizens of the Year (see separate story).

The Ag Supply was founded as a cooperative (which it still is) back in 1934 or so, said Vern Swezey, who's the current manager. "Actually it started out when they (local farmers) got together just to have a supply of fuel and oil in Brewster and up the Methow Valley." A reliable supply of gasoline and oil and lubricants mattered on the farm, and the new cooperative delivered - five gallons at a time. "They actually had five gallon cans. That's how they delivered," Swezey said. Members of the cooperative can still buy gas and oil, although it's no longer delivered in five gallon cans.

The cooperative set up business on the corner of Highway 97 and 7th Street, and it's still there. In fact the old buildings are still there, although the business has been expanded and remodeled. (Swezey confessed to a fondness for the building's historic roots. "The past general manager wanted it ripped out, but I just had a hard time pulling it down," he said.) Even though it's a cooperative the doors are open to anybody who needs a shovel or a pet bed or fencing, or any of the many items sold at Ag Supply. Members receive some discounts and special considerations, while "producing members" can vote for the board of directors.

But it took (and takes) more than just gas and oil to run the farm; over time, Ag Supply started adding pumps and hand tools and pipe and all the stuff an apple orchardist or wheat farmer needed to keep the farm ticking. And homeowners needed to make repairs occasionally and water the grass, so the Ag Supply added sprinklers and caulk and outdoor thermometers. Animal lovers needed horse liniment and dog toys. Good neighbors needed fences. And as the customer base grew and changed, so did Ag Supply.

The Ag Supply continues to sell the "oil and twine and the necessities, like hand tools," for farmers. There are still plenty of farmers who need coveralls and loppers, and they've been joined by homeowners who need a bathroom faucet or a new doorknob, and animal lovers or parents of children who need fencing. The last decade the store has added all the hardware "that the space allows us," Swezey said.

There are still a lot of farmers who raise fruit or wheat for a living, he said, but nowadays the store's customer base also includes homeowners and people with "backyard farms - five to 10 acres, the small mini-farms." The Brewster store is affiliated with Ace Hardware, although it's still an independent business.

During its 75 years customers have kept coming back to Ag Supply. The business has changed with the times to reflect its customer base, Swezey said. And "a lot of it is customer service," he said.

"We've got a loyal customer base."

The Brewster Grange Supply merged with the Wenatchee Grange Supply in the early 1990s, and the new group of five stores named themselves the Ag Supply. Swezey said the move gave each individual store more buying power, and advances in cash register technology have made it possible for stores to keep better track of merchandise and what's working and what's not.

Ag Supply has one distinction Swezey would rather trade in: the steepest parking lot in town. That happened when Washington Department of Transportation officials widened the road and sloped the edges for drainage; Ag Supply operators would've regraded the parking lot, but the gas pumps are set in concrete and couldn't be moved, he said.

Vern Swezey went to work at Ag Supply in the fall of 1980, and worked the floor until 1989, when he was named the store manager. (Previous managers included Don Fenton, Gene McLean and Ira Shaw, and even George Wilson way back when, Swezey said. Others included John Kirk and Rick McGuire.) Donza Wooley has worked there a little longer than Vern, even, with some interruptions. Susan Shaw has worked there almost as long - she's got around 15 years at Ag Supply, although she has a new job now and has gone to part time.

It must be admitted that not even the Ag Supply has everything. A customer was frustrated in his search for a 19/32-inch drill bit.